Clinical efficacy on vertebrobasilar insufficiency treated with auricular acupuncture / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy on vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) between auricular acupuncture therapy and oral administration of medicine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients of VBI were randomized into an auricular acupuncture therapy group and a medicine group, 30 cases in each one. In the auricular acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied bilaterally to gan (CO12) and jiejie (HX8) on the ears and needles were retained for 15 min. After needle withdrawal, the vaccariae semen were fixed with plaster at naogan (AT3, 4i), zhen (AT3), jing (AH12), shen (CO10) and pi (CO13) on the ears. In the medicine group, flunarizine hydrochloride capsules (Sibelium), 5mg were prescribed for oral administration, once every night. The treatment lasted continuously for 2 weeks (14 days) in the two groups. In 2 weeks, the clinical efficacy was assessed and the transcranial doppler (TCD) examination was performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the symptom scores were all apparently reduced in the patients of the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the medicine group, the reduced score was much more obvious in the auricular acupuncture group (P < 0.05), indicating the significant difference. After treatment, with TCD examination, the blood velocity was increased to different degrees in the patients of low velocity type in the auricular acupuncture group and the medicine group; that was reduced to different degrees in the patients of high velocity type in the auricular acupuncture group and the medicine group. All of them were different significantly as compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.05). But the difference was not significant between the two groups (both P > 0.05). In comparison of clinical efficacy between the two groups, the effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the acupuncture group and better than 76.7% (23/30) in the medicine group, indicating the significant difference in comparison (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The auricular acupuncture therapy achieves the definite efficacy on VBI and the efficacy is better than flunarizine hydrochloride capsules.</p>

Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) for treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the malignant tumor: a multicentral randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical effects between electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with intravenous drip of Granisetron and intravenous drip of Granisetron only for treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the malignant tumor.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The methods of multicentral, randomized controlled trial were used, the observation group (127 cases) was treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with intravenous drip of Granisetron, and the control group (119 cases) was treated with intravenous drip of Granisetron only.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate of 90.5% in observation group was superior to that of 84.0% in control group (P < 0.01); the nausea and vomiting scores of two groups were obviously decreased after treatment (both P < 0.001), and the decreased degree of the observation group was superior to that of control group (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) can significantly alleviate the symptoms such as nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the patients.</p>