Efficacy observation on chronic tension-type headache treated with acupuncture at galea tendon-muscle node / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the better therapy for chronic tension-type headache (CTTH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and eighty-eight cases were randomized into a sticking needling group (150 cases) and an acupuncture group (138 cases). In the sticking needling group, the manual sticking needling technique was adopted to stimulate the galea tendon-muscle node. In the acupuncture group, the conventional acupuncture therapy was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Fengchi (GB 20), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Touwei (ST 18), Hegu (LI 4), etc. The treatment was given once a day, and 30 days made one session. After two sessions of treatment and after three months follow-up, CTTH score (including the score of headache attack frequency and the score of headache severity) was observed and compared before and after treatment separately. The efficacy was evaluated in two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CTTH score was all reduced after treatment in the two groups (both P<0.01), the score in the sticking needling group was lower than that in the acupuncture group (2.38 +/- 1.22 vs 4.16 +/- 2.54, P < 0.01). The effective rate was 97.3% (146/150) in the sticking needling group, which was better than 88.4% (122/138) in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The manual sticking needling technique at galea tendon-muscle node achieves the superior results of reducing the pain attack frequency and severity of CTTH as compared with the acupuncture therapy of the routine acupoint selection.</p>

Effect of needling the mimetic muscle on recovery of mimetic function in the patient of spontaneous facial paralysis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe therapeutic effects of different acupuncture methods for recovery of mimetic function in the patient of spontaneous facial paralysis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and thirty-four cases of facial paralysis were randomly divided into a mimetic muscle acupuncture group (mimetic muscle group, n = 79) and a routine acupoint group (n = 55). The mimetic muscle group were treated by encircling needling frontal belly of epicranial muscle, orbicular muscle of eye, orbicular muscle of mouth and buccinator muscle, and the routine acupoint group with acupuncture at Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yangbai (GB 14), Sibai (ST 2), Cuanzhu (BL 2), etc. on the affected side. Their therapeutic effects were compared after they were treated for 2 courses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The effective rate and the good rate were 94.9% and 92.4% in the mimetic muscle group and 70.9% and 52.7% in the routine acupoint group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapeutic effect of needling the mimetic muscle on spontaneous facial paralysis is superior to that of the routine acupuncture therapy.</p>