WU Lian-zhong's experience in treating spasmodic torticollis by Kaiqiao Shunjin method / 中国针灸

Professor WU Lian-zhong's experience in treating spasmodic torticollis by Kaiqiao Shunjin method (resuscitation and regulating muscle) is summarized in this paper. The pathogenesis of spasmodic torticollis is the occluded brain orifices and delirium, qi disorder of meridian tendons, specifically divided into five categories: damp-heat, liver-yang hyperactivity, liver-kidney yin deficiency, deficiency of the governor vessel, excess of the governor vessel. The treatment should be based on the symptoms and the root causes, the symptoms should be the main treatment, and the root cause should be treated based on syndrome differentiation. The main treatment is Kaiqiao Shunjin method (resuscitation and regulating muscle), and to take the chief (five heart acupoints-Shuigou [GV 26], Laogong [PC 8], Yongquan [KI 1]), deputy (Yintang [GV 24+], Shangxing [GV 23] through Baihui [GV 20], Ximen [PC 4]), assistant (Fenglong [ST 40], Lianquan [CV 23], combined with tongue needle prick), envoy (Hanyan [GB 4]) as the basic main acupoints, at the same time cooperate with local acupoints to remove knots and accumulation. Finally, syndrome differentiation is adopted to dredge meridians and disperse knots, regulate the governor vessel, and nourish yin and dispel wind.

Clinical observation of acupuncture plus Frenkel exercises for ataxia after cerebral stroke / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of mind-refreshing and balance-restoring needling method combined with Frenkel exercises in treating ataxia after cerebral stroke. Methods: The recruited 120 patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, with 60 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by mind-refreshing and balance-restoring needling method, while the observation group was given additional lower-limb Frenkel exercises. Before and after treatment and at the follow-up, the ataxic lower-limb function was scored using Berg balance scale (BBS) and international cooperative ataxia rating scale (ICARS), and Barthel index (BI) was adopted to score the activities of daily living (ADL). Results: After treatment, the markedly effective rate was 70.2％ and the total effective rate was 96.5％ in the observation group, versus 39.7％ and 87.9％ in the control group, and the differences in the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate were statistically significant (P<0.01, P<0.05). The intra-group comparisons showed that the BBS, ICARS and BI scores after treatment and at the follow-up were significantly different from those before treatment in both groups (all P<0.01).There were significant differences in the BBS score between the two groups after treatment and at the follow-up (P<0.05, P<0.01); the between-group differences in the ICARS and BI scores were statistically insignificant after treatment (both P>0.05), while the between-group differences in the ICARS and BI scores were statistically significant at the follow-up (both P<0.05). The interaction effects between the scoring time of BBS and BI and the group factor were statistically significant (P<0.01, P<0.05). Conclusion: Mind-refreshing and balance-restoring needling can effectively improve the lower-limb ataxic symptoms and ADL after stroke; when combined with Fenkel exercises, this needling method can produce more significant efficacy.

The essence of Professor Wu Lian-Zhong's acupuncture manipulation / 中国针灸

The painless needle insertion technique, summarized by Professor WU Lian-zhong during his decades of acupuncture clinical practice is introduced in this article, which is characterized as soft, flexible, fast, plucking and activating antipathogenic qi. The Sancai (three layers) lifting and thrusting manipulation technique is adopted by Professor WU for getting the qi sensation. And features of 10 kinds of needling sensation such as soreness, numbness, heaviness, distension, pain, cold, hot, radiation, jumping and contracture are summarized. Finger force, amplitude, speed and time length are also taken as the basis of reinforcing and reducing manipulations. Moreover, examples are also given to explain the needling technique on some specific points which further embodies Professor WU's unique experiences and understandings on acupuncture.

A secondary discussion on acupoint characteristic / 中国针灸

With references of historical materials and modern literature regarding acupoint characteristic, a secondary analysis on the concept, origin, related factors and research methods in present research of acupoint characteristic is performed. The acupoint characteristic should be considered as an acupoint inherent attribute that could explain physiological and pathological manifestations at the same time, including location attribute and function attribute, which is related with time and treatment method. Some re-thinking on acupoint characteristic is proposed as well as advice on further research method and direction, hoping to promote the research development of acupoint characteristic.

Dynamic observation on therapeutic features of thalamic pain by mind calming, blood activating and pain relief acupuncture and carbamazepine / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe therapeutic features of thalamic pain by mind Calming, blood activating and pain relief acupuncture and Carbamazepine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Crossover trial design was adopted. Eleven patients with confirmed diagnosis of thalamic pain were randomly assigned to two groups according to the minimal unbalance index method, i.e., Group I (Six patients received acupuncture first and then Western medicine.) and Group II (Five patients received Western medicine first and then acupuncture). The therapeutic course for each group was ten days. There was a ten-day elution phase between the two therapeutic methods. The total therapeutic course was thirty days. Eleven patients were enrolled in the two groups for statistical analysis. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed with visual analogue scale (VAS) and the pain assessment scale of Anderson Cancer Center in the USA (MD Pain Evaluation value) respectively. The VAS and MD values of the two groups were recorded every day to get the dynamic curve.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The VAS and MD values obviously decreased in the two groups after treatment (P<0.05). The pain curves of the two groups showed a declining trend during the treatment. A gradual and stable descending process was shown in the acupuncture group. But a greater decrease first appeared in the Western medicine group, then a comparatively greater decrease occurred after one platform stage, showing ladder-shaped curve.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Cumulative potency may be the main analgesic effects of acupuncture. Western medicine may possibly play a role by rapid initiate effect.</p>

Acupuncture treatment of regulating spirit, activating blood and relieving pain for thalamic pain / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical effect of acupuncture treatment and western medicine Carbamazepine for thalamic pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Crossover trial design was used, 11 cases diagnosed as thalamic pain were randomly divided into two groups according to the mini-unbalance-index method, group I (with 6 cases received acupuncture first and then western medicine) and group II (with 5 cases received western medicine first and then acupuncture). When the effects were evaluated, the two groups were named as acupuncture group and western medicine group, 11 cases in each group. The method of clearing away the heart fire, regulating the spirit, activating blood and relieving pain was adopted in acupuncture treatment, Ximen (PC 4), Yinxi (HT 6), Xuehai (SP 10) and Zhaohai (KI 6) were selected; the western medicine group was treated with oral administration of Carbamazepine, and one course as well as the eluting period were both 10 days. The effects were evaluated with visual analogue scale (VAS) and evaluation scale of Anderson Cancer Center pain in US (MD Pain Evaluation value) respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The VAS and MD value in two groups were obviously decreased after treatment (both P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between two groups; the markedly effective rate of pain relieving in acupuncture group was 63.6% (7/11), which was higher than that of 36.4% (4/11) in western medicine group, but there was no significant difference between two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture treatment of regulating spirit, activating blood and relieving pain has a better therapeutic effect for thalamic pain, and can reach to the same therapeutic effect with western medicine Carbamazepine.</p>

Treatment of spasmodic torticollis by differentiation of symptoms and signs / 中国针灸

Spasmodic torticollis belongs to local dysmyotonia and it is a difficult and complicated disease with unknown pathogenic factor. The clinical effects of medication and operation on it are not satisfactory and there is not a safe and effective therapy for this disease at home and abroad. The authors apply flexibly the theory of treatment based on syndrome differentiation and fully exert the advantages of TCM to analyze the disease from pathogenic factor, disease and syndrome, pathogenesis and so on, and originally create acupuncture at "Wu Xin Xue" for treatment of this disease with Kaiqiao Shunjin method (resuscitation and regulating muscle) as main, clinically attaining satisfactory therapeutic effect.

Professor Wu Lian-zhong's experience on four needling methods at Fengchi (GB 20) / 中国针灸

The paper introduces the manipulation and different clinical application examines of the 4 needling methods, oblique needling, horizontal needling, deep needling and transversal needling summarized by Prof. Wu Lian-zhong on the basis of many years's clinical work.

Prof. WU Lian-zhong's 12 acupuncture analgesic methods / 中国针灸

Prof. WU Lian-zhong not only has great theoretical attainments and rich clinical experience, but also is good at summarization and study, especially, systematically and deep study on various kinds of pain from etiology, pathogenesis, characteristics, classification and syndrome differentiation, treatment method and point selection and other aspects, and sums up the 12 treatment methods such as regulating mental activities, removing obstruction in the channels, opposing needling, blood-letting puncture, sixteen cleft points, warming the channels, resistant needling, Su needling, surrounding needling, tripod needling, penetration needling and dragon-tiger contending method, which are of very important significance for guiding clinical acupuncture analgesia.