Effects of the pestle needle therapy, a type of acupoint stimulation, on post-hemorrhoidectomy pain: A randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Hemorrhoids are one of the most common conditions that lead to surgery, and until now surgical hemorrhoidectomy has been the major effective treatment. Post-operative pain from hemorrhoidectomy has been experienced by thousands of patients and remains a major inconvenience of the operation.@*OBJECTIVE@#This study evaluates the clinical efficacy of the pestle needle therapy, an acupoint stimulation method, for relief of post-hemorrhoidectomy pain.@*DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS@#This was a single-center, patient-assessor-blinded and randomized controlled trial with 154 patients receiving Milligan hemorrhoidectomy surgery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group at a ratio of 1:1. The treatment group received the pestle needle therapy, with manual stimulation at Yaoshu (DU2), Mingmen (DU4), Changqiang (DU1), Chengshan (BL57), Erbai (EX-UE2) and the perianal points (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11o'clock around the lesion); while the control group received a sham treatment with very light pressure. Three sessions of treatment were performed at 30 min, 4 h and 12 h after the surgery, and each lasted for 15 min.@*MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES@#The primary outcome was post-operative pain measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS) at 12 h after surgery. The secondary outcomes included the VAS scores measured at 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and 48 h after surgery, the analgesic dose, the time and the VAS score of the patients' first defecation after surgery, as well as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) evaluated before discharge.@*RESULTS@#The mean pain score of the treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group (3.10 ± 1.27 vs 4.82 ± 1.29; P < 0.001) at 12 h after surgery. Compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group needed a smaller dose of analgesic within the first 24 hours after surgery (P = 0.002); and their HAMA scores before discharge were lower (4.07 ± 2.40 vs 5.10 ± 2.45, P = 0.009). Compared to the treatment group, patients in the control group had a greater time to the first defecation after surgery ([52.34 ± 15.72] h vs [27.08 ± 13.68] h; P < 0.001), but there was no difference in their VAS scores at the first defecation (P = 0.092).@*CONCLUSION@#The pestle needle therapy was effective for relieving pain, reducing anxiety and improving bowel function after hemorrhoidectomy, and it is worthy of clinical application.

Effect of Essential Oil on Patients with Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of essential oil treatment for type III chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).@*METHODS@#A randomized controlled trial was conducted from December 2014 to October 2015. Seventy type III CP/CPPS patients were assigned to the essential oil group (35 cases) or almond placebo oil control group (35 cases) by a random number table. The oil was smeared by self-massage on the suprapubic and sacral region once a day for 4 weeks. The National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Syndrome Index (NIH-CPSI) and expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) were examined. The primary outcome was NIH-CPSI pain domain. The secondary outcomes included other NIH-CPSI domains and laboratory examinations of EPS. Adverse events were also observed.@*RESULTS@#Sixty-six subjects completed the full 4-week treatment. There was no significant difference between almond oil control and essential oil groups in terms of the total score of NIH-CPSI, pain, quality of life and urination domain scores of NIH-CPSI and EPS examinations (P>0.05). In the essential oil group, pain between rectum and testicles (perineum) in the domain of pain or discomfort was significantly reduced at week 2 and week 4 compared with almond oil control group (P<0.01). No serious adverse events occurred.@*CONCLUSION@#The essential oil may reduce the pain or discomfort in the perineum region in patients with CP/CPPS. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-14005448).

Electrical signal propagated across acupoints along Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian in rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the electrical signals propagated along Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian (BL) in a rat model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The experiments were performed on Dark-Agouti (DA), DA.1U and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The antidromic electrical stimulation was applied on the nerve innervating "Pishu" (BL 20) to mimic the acupoint electro-acupuncture (EA). The activities recording from adjacent nerve innervating acupoint "Danshu" (BL 19) or "Weishu" (BL 21) were recorded as indics for acupoint, including the mechanical threshold and discharge rate.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After mimic EA on BL 20, C and Aδ units from adjacent BL 19 or BL 21 were sensitized including the decrease in mechanical threshold and increase in discharge rates in DA, DA.1U and SD rats, especially in DA rats. The average discharge rate increased from 2.40±0.26 to 6.06±0.55 and from 1.92±0.42 to 6.17±1.10 impulse/min (P<0.01), and the mechanical threshold decreased from 0.52±0.12 to 0.24±0.05 and from 0.27±0.02 to 0.16±0.01 mmol/L (P<0.01) in C (n=15) and Aδ (n=18) units in DA rats. The net change in discharge rates from C units were 152.5%, 144.7% and 42.4% in DA, DA.1U and SD rats, respectively, among which DA rat's was the highest (P<0.05). In Aδ units, the net change in DA rats were also the highest (221.5%, 139.2% and 49.2% in DA, DA.1U and SD rats).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These results showed that mimic acupoint EA activated adjacent acupoints along BL in three rat strains, which might be related to propagated sensation along meridians (PSM). In addition, DA rats were more sensitive and might be a good model animal for PSM research.</p>

Effectiveness of acupuncture for palliative care in cancer patients: a systematic review / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To critically evaluate the currently available randomized clinical trials regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture in palliative care for cancer patients, hence, to provide sufficient evidences for the widespread use of acupuncture in cancer treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two independent reviewers extracted data from all of the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed the efficacy of acupuncture in palliative care for cancer patients. Seven databases were searched from their respective inception to December 2010. All eligible trials identified were evaluated by two independent reviewers using the Jadad scale, and data from the articles were validated and extracted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In total, 33 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The effects of acupuncture on different cancer-related aspects were shown, including chemotherapy or radiotherapy-induced side effects (13/33, 39.4%), cancer pain (6/33, 18.2%), post-operative urinary retention (4/33, 12.1%), quality of life (2/33, 6.1%), vasomotor syndrome (2/33, 6.1%), post-operative gastrointestinal dysfunction (2/33, 6.1%), prevention of prolonged postoperative ileus (2/33, 6.1%), joint symptoms (1/33, 3.0%), and immunomodulation (1/33, 3.0%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The result of our systematic review suggested that the effectiveness of acupuncture in palliative care for cancer patients is promising, especially in reducing chemotherapy or radiotherapyinduced side effects and cancer pain. Acupuncture may be an appropriate adjunctive treatment for palliative care.</p>

Dietary supplement with a combination of Rhodiola crenulata and Ginkgo biloba enhances the endurance performance in healthy volunteers / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether the ingestion of a herbal supplement called Rhodiola-Gingko Capsule (RGC) would enhance the endurance performance of healthy volunteers and change relevant hormones in a favorable manner.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy healthy male volunteers (age ranges from 18 to 22 years old) were randomly assigned to RGC group (35 cases, each capsule containing 270 mg herbal extracts, 4 capsules per day) or placebo group (35 cases, equivalent placebo preparation) for 7 weeks using computer produced digital random method. The endurance performance, serum testosterone and cortisol levels were measured at the baseline and the endpoint.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sixty-seven subjects (34 in the RGC group and 33 in the placebo group) completed a 7-week treatment. The RGC group displayed a significantly greater baseline-to endpoint increase in maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) than placebo group in both absolute (P=0.020) and relative values (P=0.023). At the endpoint, the serum cortisol level was unchanged in the RGC group compared with the baseline, but it was significantly elevated in the placebo group (P<0.05). The endpoint ratio of testosterone to cortisol, a surrogate for overtraining and fatigue in endurance exercises, was also indifferent compared with the baseline in the RGC group, but significantly decreased in the placebo group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combined herbal supplement of Rhodiola and Gingko could improve the endurance performance by increasing oxygen consumption and protecting against fatigue.</p>