A Case of Combined Use of Kampo, Japanese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture/Moxibustion for Chronic Facial Pain of Unknown Cause with Mental Anxiety / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Usually, chronic pain is difficult to treat because this is often accompanied by none-organic factors such as psychiatric symptoms, which complicate the pathological condition. For this reason, the guidelines also call for coping with peripheral symptoms except pain. This time, we report that facial pain as well as peripheral symptoms such as mental anxiety gradually improved by a combination of decoction extract and acupuncture and moxibustion. The case was a man in his 60s, who received all kinds of treatments such as taking Western medicines and blocking trigger points for chronic facial pain of unknown cause with mental anxiety. However, even after one year the side effects were strong and the treatment was ineffective. Acupuncturists and Kampo specialists made the diagnosis and treatment based on a common concept of Kampo medicine. Treatment focused on shin abnormalities and oketsu suppressed the vicious cycle of pain and improved psychiatric symptoms and QOL. It was suggested that Kampo medicine based on the idea “the same in mind and body” is effective for chronic pain in which various symptoms are intricately intertwined.

A Proposal for Creating Social Impact of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy as a Healthcare Resource / 日本東洋医学雑誌

The number of acupuncturists and moxibustion therapists has rapidly increased since around 2000. If they can be regarded as new healthcare resource investments, it is of great significance to evaluate their social impact. Here, we conducted a regional correlation study in different prefectures by using the extension of average life expectancy as an evaluation index. The results revealed an increase in “acupuncturists (human healthcare resources)” and in “facilities for performing acupuncture and moxibustion therapy (physical healthcare resources)” to show a weak but statistically significant positive correlation with the extension of average life expectancy for elderly men. Due to methodological limitations, however, this study cannot confirm a causal relationship between them. The author strongly hopes that public service corporations involved in the provision of acupuncture and moxibustion will henceforth serve as a bridge to allow researchers, acupuncturists, and moxibustion therapists to collaborate and conduct multicenter joint studies, in order to create an even greater social impact of acupuncture and moxibustion.

<b>A Case of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Kampo Medicine Therapy for Right Pelvic Bone Pain Caused by Renal Cell Carcinoma M</b><b>etastasis</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

<p>Patients with the best supportive care often get worse and worse, and it is very difficult to improve their symptoms. As cancer is currently a leading cause of death in Japan, and adequate control of the cancer-associated pain is important to improve the quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients. Pain caused by bone metastasis is particularly difficult to control, and the strong analgesic medication which it requires is generally difficult to control. Such metastases result in reduced mobility and markedly reduced activities of daily living (ADL) and the QOL of patients. Our patient was a 67-year-old man who had been treated for metastasis from the left kidney to cancer of the right pelvic bone ; palliative chemotherapy and mild treatment were provided for his sharp pain, but control of his sharp pain was insufficient. Here we expand on our experience in a patient with bone metastasis caused by renal cell carcinoma successfully treated with Kampo medicine, using acupuncture and decoction extract.</p>

Patient-Centered Acupuncture and Moxibustion / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

In recent years, due to the rapid changing social structure, thedemands for medical services are also changing. There is a need to explore the future direction of acupuncture and moxibustion. Therefore, using the keyword "patient"as the focus of medicalservices, we discussed the question, "What is meant by 'patient-centered'Acupuncture and Moxibustion?"<BR>Our results indicate that the numerous clinical treatments, education, and research that occurred throughout the long history of acupuncture and moxibustion in Japan were in fact all done "for the patient."However, we note that there is still room for improvement in verification method and cooperation between each field, and we confirmed that there is a need to build Acupuncture and Moxibustion methods that truly represent "patient-centered medicine."

Cases Report of Colic Pain of Lithiasis Successfully Treated with Contact Needle Therapy / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Since ancient times, acupuncture and moxibustion have been widely administrated for any emergency case. In this country, they have been endeavored at establishing the harmony between Kampo and Modern medicine. Based on such background, we report two cases of colic pain attack of lithiasis successfully treated with contact needle therapy established by Bunkei Ono.In case one, ureterolithiasis brought colic back pain. Symptoms were improved with satisfaction for one session and the stone discharged via following Kampo-medication.In case two, the patient suffered from colic epigastralgia of choledocholithiasis complicated by severe appetite loss. Although one session successfully extinguished the symptoms, blood chemistry revealed implying signs of cholangitis. A laparotomy with T-tube drainage was performed eventually.These cases pronounced the efficacy of contact needle therapy in the treatment of colic pain and invited deliberate estimation with Modern medicine. The harmony between Kampo and Modern medicine was considered as a prerequisite for clinical practice.

Two Cases of Water Polo Athletes Successfully Treated with the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Recently, the number of athletes who receive acupuncture therapy is increasing. However, most of these athletes receive acupuncture therapy with single-acupuncture and/or electro-acupuncture to a local point, or a trigger point. We experienced two water polo athletes who were improved using acupuncture and moxibustion therapy with “zuisho” therapy. Case 1 was 16 year old man. He became aware of pain in his right thumb after training, which continued with extended training time, a numbness in his left hand appeared more, and he received acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. These symptoms disappeared immediately with acupuncture and moxibustion therapy using the standard traditional methods, such as contact needling to a yuan point, and in situ acupuncture to a back shu point, etc. Case 2 was 17 year old man. He received acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for lumbago and stiffness of the neck. These symptoms disappeared immediately after acupuncture and moxibustion therapy using the standard traditional methods such as contact needling to a yuan point, and inserting needles into a back shu point, an extra meridian, etc. In these two cases, symptoms were improved with “zuisho” therapy, and both could continue with longer and more strenuous training. This suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy using the standard traditional methods are useful for athletes.

Three Cases of Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections in Tube-feeding Elderly Patients Treated with Acupuncture / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Case1was a 91-year old man diagnosed with multiple cerebral infarctions. He had undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in the same year. One year later, we initiated acupuncture treatment because of recurrent respiratory tract infections. The acupuncture points selected were LU 5, Chize and KI 13, Taixi. Before acupuncture, the frequencies of antibiotics-use and feverish days were 6.3 days and 2.7 days per month on average. During acupuncture therapy, these frequencies were reduced to 1.2 days and 0.6 days per month, respectively.Case 2 was an 81-year old man diagnosed with right thalamic hemorrhage. He underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in the same year. After 6 months, we began acupuncture treatment, also because of recurrent respiratory tract infections. The acupuncture points were the same as in Case 1.Prior to acupuncture, antibiotics-use and feverish days were 8 days and 4.5 days per month, which were then reduced to1and 0.6 days per month, respectively.Case 3 was a 93-year old man diagnosed with dementia. He was being fed via nasoenteric tubes. After 3 months, again because of recurrent respiratory tract infections, acupuncture treatment was begun. The acupuncture points were the same as in Cases 1 and 2.His use of antibiotics and feverish condition were 9 days and 10 days per month on average before acupuncture, but with acupuncture therapy these were improved to 2 days and 1.3 days per month.Based on this experience, it is suggested that acupuncture be considered for the treatment of recurrent respiratory tract infections in elderly, tube-fed patients.

Comparison of New Electrothermo-acupuncture using a Curved Heating Plate with Old Electrothermo-acupuncture using a Miniature Bulb / 日本東洋医学雑誌

We developed a new electrothermo-acupuncture instrument which employs a curved heating plate, and we compared this new one and the old hitherto used electrothermo-acupuncture instrument in terms of radiation temperature, using two male volunteers. The results showed that the 2nd step in the old instrument equaled the fifth channel in the new one. The radiation temperature increase of 140°C seen in 10 minutes was the same, between the two instruments, but the old one continued to increase its temperature, whereas the new one held at a plateau of about 140°C. Therefore, we considered that the new electrothermo-acupuncture instrument is safer than old one.<br>Next, we investigated the relation between effective Kampo formulas and endurance time in the fifth channel of the new electrothermo-acupuncture instrument, in nineteen patients. We found that Kampo formulas used in the resistant phase of Yang-syndrome disease, is effective in less than 10 minutes of endurance time, and the Kampo formula containing Aconite Tuber is effective for over 30 minutes.<br>We considered, because of the relation between endurance time and Kampo diagnosis, that the new electrothermo-acupuncture instrument can be useful in a supplementary way in deciding Kampo diagnosis.

Cluster Analysis of First-visit Patients' Answers for Japanese-Oriental Kampo Questionnaire Supporting the Empirical Decision of Sho-syndrome / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Sho-syndrome was analyzed by cluster analysis of answers to a set of questionnaire presented to first-visit patients at a hospital of Japanese-Oriental (<i>Kampo</i>) medicine. The answers from 270 new patients were classified into 3 groups by hierarchical cluster analysis, with a total of 202 non-female related items. We looked at which Sho-syndromes of metabolic (Mb: “<i>Kan</i>-” _??_-), gastrointestinal (Gi: “<i>Hi</i>” _??_-), respiratory (Rp: “<i>Hai</i>-” _??_-), or water and mineral-balance (Wm: “<i>Zin</i>-” _??_-) deficiency (“<i>Kyo</i>” _??_) disorders were included, in one of the groups at high frequencies. Water and mineral-balance deficiency disorders were in Group II and III, while metabolic deficiency disorders were in Group III. We conclude that the results of this analysis support the rationale for the empirical determination of <i>Sho</i>-syndrome, in addition to pulse diagnosis by <i>Kampo</i>-clinicians who examine patients.

A Case of Chronic Osteomyelitis Successfully Treated with Kampo Formula Keishi-mao-kakuhan-to / 日本東洋医学雑誌

A 27-year-old female had swelling, hotness and pain on her right clavicle. She was diagnosed as having chronic osteomyelitis and received bone curettement. However, even after this therapy, she occasionally suffered from recurrence of osteomyelitis. In the middle of July 1992, she was pregnant and had a low grade fever and pain from the right clavicle to the right upper arm. On **********, she visited our department and was diagnosed as having deterioration of the chronic osteomyelitis with pregnancy, based on the symptoms and laboratory data. In Kampo diagnosis, she was in the initial stage of Yang diseases with ectodermal symptoms, since she had headache and fever with slight chills and her pulse was floating. She received Keishi-mao-kakuhan-to and acupuncture therapy. The therapy gradually improved the symptoms and laboratory data. The present case suggests that Oriental medicine is one approach to the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis. Furthermore, the fact that the present therapy was effective during pregnancy without any adverse effects supports the clinical usefulness of Oriental medicine, especially since administration of massive amounts of antibiotics or surgery is often not advisable for pregnant women.

The Survey of The Urinary Complaints of The Outpatients in Acupuncture Clinics / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

The frequencies of the urinary complaints oa the outpatients (male 188, female 339, average age 59.2+14.9) of the five acupuncture clinics were surveyed. The elder patients showed the higher frequencies of the urinary complaints. The frequencies of the complaints were as follows: nocturia (25.8%), urinary urgency (17.7%), stress incontinence (16.3%), sense of residual urine (15.2%), protracted micturition (12.0%), and retarded micturition (11.3%), respectively. The nocturia was accompanied with the majority of the other urinary complaints. These results suggest that the survey of the patient's complaint of nocturia is useful.