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Objective: To observe the effects of different frequencies of pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy on the levels of the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), testosterone (T), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in patients with acne vulgaris (AV). Methods: Ninety patients with AV were randomly assigned to treatment group 1, treatment group 2, and treatment group 3 according to the random number remainder grouping method, with 30 cases in each group. All three groups received pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy. Treatment group 1 was treated once a week, treatment group 2 was treated twice a week, and treatment group 3 was treated 3 times a week. Four-week treatment was taken as 1 treatment course, and 3 treatment courses were observed. On the day before the start of the study and on the day next to the end of each course, the global acne grading system (GAGS) score was recorded, and 3 mL of blood from the median cubital vein was collected to test the serum levels of IgG, IgM, T, and IGF-1. After 3 courses of treatment, the efficacy index was calculated according to the GAGS score, and the serum indicators in patients with effective treatment (efficacy index ≥20％) and complete sampling were analyzed. Results: A total of 60 patients were included in the final blood indicator analysis. After 3 courses of treatment, the intra-group comparisons showed that the serum IgG level increased significantly in patients in treatment group 1 (P<0.01); the serum T level decreased significantly in the female patients in treatment group 2 (P<0.05); the IGF-1 level significantly decreased in the patients in all three groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the serum levels of IgG, IgM, T, and IGF-1 among the three groups at each time point (P>0.05). Conclusion: Pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy can affect the levels of serum IgG, T, and IGF-1 in AV patients. The level of the serum IGF-1 can be reduced by treatment once a week, twice a week, or 3 times a week. Treatment once a week can increase the patients' serum IgG level, and treatment twice a week can significantly decrease the serum T level in female patients. Reducing the serum IGF-1 level may be one of the action mechanisms of pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy in treating AV.
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Objective: To observe the clinical effect of auricular point sticking therapy for cardiac syndrome X (CSX) in women. Methods: A total of 64 patients were randomized into two groups by the random number table, with 32 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received conventional treatment for angina, while patients in the treatment group received auricular point sticking therapy on the basis of conventional treatment. After 8 weeks of treatment, the levels of serum estradiol (E2), nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-1 (ET-1) were compared to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Results: After 8 weeks of treatment, the total effective rate and markedly effective rate in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the between-group comparisons showed statistical significance (both P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of chest pain and tightness in the control group dropped significantly, and the intra-group comparisons showed statistical significance (both P<0.05); the scores of chest pain and tightness, palpitations, weakness and shortness of breath in the treatment group dropped significantly, and the intra-group comparisons showed statistical significance (all P<0.05); there were significant inter-group differences in the scores of chest pain and tightness. After treatment, the intra-group comparisons of E2, NO and ET-1 contents in the control group showed no statistical significance (all P>0.05), while the E2, NO and ET-1 contents in the treatment group changed significantly after treatment and were significantly different from those in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Auricular point sticking on the basis of conventional treatment was effective for CSX in women, and is worth clinical application.
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Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of auricular point sticking plus Western medicine for moderate gastric cancer pain. Methods: A total of 80 patients were selected and divided into an observation group and a control group according to the random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received Western medicine treatment, while patients in the observation group received additional auricular point sticking. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. Numeric rating scale (NRS) and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) were adopted before and after treatment. The total time and times of flare-up pain in 24 h were recorded. The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected. The clinical efficacy of both groups was evaluated after treatment. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05); after treatment, NRS scores of both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (both P<0.05), and the score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05); KPS scores of both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment (both P<0.05), and the score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the total time and flare-up times of pain during 24 h of both groups were significantly reduced (all P<0.05), and those of the observation group were significantly less than those of the control group (both P<0.05). After treatment, the COX-2 and TNF-α levels of both groups were significantly reduced (all P<0.05), and were lower in the observation group than in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The clinical efficacy of auricular point sticking plus Western medicine for moderate gastric cancer pain is valid. This combined treatment can alleviate cancer pain and improve patients' quality of life, which may be related to its ability to reduce COX-2 and TNF-α levels.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term and long-term clinical effects of otopoint pellet-pressing combined with medication in the treatment of patients with migraine without aura and its impact on plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) and calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP) contents. METHODS: Patients with migraine without aura were randomly divided into medication(control) group(n=48) and otopoint pellet-pressing plus medication (treatment) group(n=49). Patients of the control group were given oral Flunarizine capsules(10 mg/time) twice a day, and those of the treatment group received same dosage of Flunarizine and pellet-pressing of otopoints Nao(Brain), Nie (Temporal), Shenmen(Shenmen), Jiaogan(Sympathy) and Pizhixia(Subcortex), 2 min/point, 3 times a day, simultaneously. The treatment was conducted for 1 month. The short-term and long-term clinical effects were evaluated according to Yang and colleagues' methods, and "Guiding principles for clinical research of new TCM drugs (trial)". The contents of plasma 5-HT and CGRP were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: After one month's treatment, of the 48 and 49 patients in the control and treatment groups, 10(20.83%)and 17(34.69%) were under control, 19(39.59%)and 23(46.94%) experienced marked improvement, 10(20.83%)and 7(14.29%)were effective, 9(18.75%) and 2(4.08%) failed, with the total effective rates being 81.25% and 95.92%, respectively. Six months' follow-up survey showed that of the 48 and 49 patients in the control and treatment groups, 4(8.33%)and 11(22.45%) were under control, 20(41.67%)and 24(48.98%)experienced marked improvement, 11(22.92%)and 9(18.37%)were effective, and 13(27.08%) and 5(10.20%)failed, with the total effective rates being 72.92% and 89.80%, respectively. The number of headache attacks, duration of each attack and the degree of headache were significantly decreased after 1 and 6 months' treatment in both groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment (P<0.05). The contents of plasma 5-HT at the time-points of 1 and 6 months were markedly increased (P<0.05), and those of plasma CGRP at the two time points markedly decreased in both groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment (P<0.05). The therapeutic effects of the treatment group were obviously superior to those of the control group in lowering the number of headache attacks, duration of each attack and the degree of headache and plasma CGRP content, as well as in increasing plasma 5-HT levels after 1 and 6 months' treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Otopoint pellet-pressing combined with oral administration of Flunarizine can significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with migraine without aura, and possess a stable long-term clinical effect, which may be associated with its effect in increasing plasma 5-HT and decreasing CGRP levels.
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Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point sticking at different points to relieve the pain in arteriovenous fistula puncture. Methods: A total of 42 patients with arteriovenous fistula were randomized into a Shenmen (TF4) group and an Elbow (SF3) group by the random number table method, with 21 cases in each group. After enrolled into different groups, before the dialysis, patients were given auricular point sticking with Wang Bu Liu Xing ( Semen Vaccariae) seeds at Shenmen (TF4) and Elbow (SF3), respectively. Patients were asked to press the seeds themselves for 2 min each time, four times a day, and an additional 5-15 min before the arteriovenous fistula puncture. Intensive pressing was offered during the puncture, 15-20 presses for each time, and the plasters were changed every 2-3 d. The numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to score the pain level one week before and after auricular point sticking. The NRS score was then compared and analyzed. Results: The intra-group comparison showed that the changes of NRS score in both groups were statistically significant after auricular point sticking (both P＜0.05). After the treatment, there was no significant difference in NRS score between the two groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion: Auricular point sticking at Shenmen (TF4) or Elbow (SF3) can effectively relieve the pain of arteriovenous fistula puncture, and these two points have equivalent analgesic effect.
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Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking therapy for acne vulgaris. Methods: A total of 66 patients with acne vulgaris were randomized into an observation group and a control group by the random number table, with 33 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking therapy, and the control group was treated only with auricular point sticking therapy. The treatments of both groups were performed twice a week, 4 weeks as a course of treatment, for 3 courses in total. The scores of skin lesions and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores were recorded before and after treatment to assess the clinical efficacy. Results: During the trial, there were 3 cases of drop-out both in the observation group and the control group. After 3 courses of treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 96.7％, while that of the control group was 76.7％. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The intra-group comparison showed that the scores of skin lesion and DLQI were both decreased with the increase of treatment times, that was, the scores were lower than those at the previous time point (allP<0.05). After 1, 2, and 3 courses of treatment, the scores of skin lesion and DLQI of both groups were statistically different from those of the same group before treatment (allP<0.05). At every time point during the treatment, the scores of skin lesion and DLQI of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking has a better curative effect than auricular point sticking therapy alone in the treatment of acne vulgaris, and has a time-effect correlation.
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Twenty-four cases of hiccup were treated by needle-embedding therapy at Geshu (BL 17), Ear Centre (MA-H 1) and Stomach (MA-IC). Results showed that hiccup disappeared in 21 cases, relieved in 1 case and changed little in 2 cases; that in some cases hiccup disappeared instantly after embedding needle. It is indicated that needle-embedding therapy is a quick and easy way to treat hiccup, with lasting effects.