Exploring the application value of the modified Delphi method in the development process of acupuncture and moxibustion guideline recommendations based on the WFAS Clinical Practice Guideline for Female Urinary Incontinence / 中国针灸

Taking the recommendations development of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) standard Clinical Practice Guideline for Female Urinary Incontinence as an example, this study analyzed the consensus expert composition, specific consensus process, and results in the development of the guideline's recommendations. It systematically examined the advantages of using the modified Delphi method in the formation of recommendations for acupuncture and moxibustion clinical practice guideline, with the aim of providing reference for the development of acupuncture and moxibustion guidelines in the same field.

Application of clinical value assessment of treatment protocols in guideline development: taking the WFAS Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Migraine as an example / 中国针灸

To enhance the clinical applicability of guidelines and provide more effective guidance for clinical practice, a clinical value assessment was conducted during the development of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Migraine, which involved the evaluation of 59 acupuncture and moxibustion treatment protocols from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This article introduced the methodology, content and results of the clinical value assessment of RCT-based acupuncture and moxibustion treatment protocols, which involved the integration of historical and contemporary medical evidence and expert consensus. It served as a methodological reference for the future development of acupuncture and moxibustion clinical practice guidelines.

Acupoint compatibility effect: increasing "effect value" and expanding "effect domain" / 中国针灸

By summarizing and exploring the theoretic connotation, key of functions and effect mechanism of acupoint compatibility, the effect of acupoint compatibility is concluded as the increase of "effect value" and the expansion of "effect domain". The increase of "effect value" is the concrete embodiment by the value of medical assessment scale, the value of objective index detection in clinical trial and the value of index detection in experiment research. The expansion of "effect domain" is the increase of effect target and the extension of effect scope. The paper interprets the scientific connotation of acupoint compatibility therapy from a new perspective, and emphasizes the innovative approaches to research while bringing forth new ideas on the research method. It is anticipated that a novel breakthrough can be achieved in the study of acupoint compatibility and the improvement of acupuncture-moxibustion efficacy.

Re-evaluation of systematic reviews of acupuncture and moxibustion for children with cerebral palsy / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the methodological quality, report quality and evidence quality of the Meta-analysis and systematic reviews of acupuncture and moxibustion for children with cerebral palsy, aiming to provide decision-making basis for clinical treatment.@*METHODS@#The systematic reviews and Meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion for children with cerebral palsy were searched in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed and EMbase. The retrieval time was from the database establishment to June 30th, 2022. AMSTAR 2 (a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews) was used to evaluate the methodological quality， and PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) was used to evaluate the report quality, and GRADE was used to evaluate the quality of evidence.@*RESULTS@#A total of 14 systematic reviews were included, including 37 primary outcome indexes. According to AMSTAR 2 evaluation results, there were 4 low quality studies, 10 very low quality studies, and low scores on items 2, 4, 7, 10 and 16. PRISMA scores ranged from 15 to 25, and the main reporting problems reflected in structured abstracts, program and registration, retrieval, and funding sources, etc. According to the GRADE classification results, there were 3 high quality evidences, 7 medium quality evidences, 10 low quality evidences and 17 very low quality evidences. The main downgrading factors were limitations, imprecision and publication bias.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture and moxibustion has a certain effect for cerebral palsy in children, but the quality of methodology, reporting and evidence in the included literature is poor, and the comparison of curative effect between different acupuncture and moxibustion methods is unclear.

ZHANG Jian-bin's clinical experience in treatment of depressive disorder based on the theory of governor vessel / 中国针灸

Depressive disorder is manifested as emotional and physical abnormality. Theoretically, the governor vessel is distributed along the spine, related to the brain and communicated with five zang and six fu organs. It is the key meridian for understanding the various symptoms of depressive disorder. Depressive disorder is caused by dysfunction, stagnation or emptiness of the governor vessel, resulting in malnutrition of the brain. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, based on the theory of the governor vessel, the etiology and pathogenesis are analyzed in the patients with depressive disorder. In order to achieve harmonizing mutually the mental and physical conditions, acupuncture is delivered to adjust the spirit and physical state, moving cupping is to regulate the governor vessel, tuina manipulation is to promote meridians and collaterals and physical exercise is to coordinate the body and the spirit.

Features of different contemporary acupuncture and moxibustion schools in the treatment of post-stroke spastic paralysis / 中国针灸

Acupuncture and moxibustion has certain advantages in the treatment of post-stroke spastic paralysis，but the treatment methods and diagnosis and treatment ideas are complicated. This paper sortes out the representative contemporary acupuncture and moxibustion schools in the treatment of post-stroke spastic paralysis, analyzes their academic origins，summarizes and compares the theory，acupoint selection and technique characteristics of different schools in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease，so as to provide some references for guiding optimal treatment schemes selection in clinic.

The Methodology and Practices of Real-world Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

Real-world study is based on evidence in real clinical medical environments. The results of real-world study have high clinical applicability and strong extrapolation， and are more in line with the characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion. Therefore， real-world study is receiving more and more attention from the clinical research community. In this article， we briefly analyze the compatibility between real-world study and clinical research of acupuncture and moxibustion，and discuss the implementation of real-world research methodology of acupuncture and moxibustion. In addition， the shortcomings and countermeasures of real-world study on acupuncture and moxibustion in China are also summarized. At the end， we provide an outlook on the application of real-world study in clinical research of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Association Between Ferroptosis and Central Nervous System Diseases and A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Central nervous system （CNS） is a sophisticated system subject to complex regulation， which dominates the high-level neural activities of the human body. Due to its complex physiological structure and refined regulatory mechanism covering a variety of diseases， CNS is the place where many chronic， refractory and rare diseases occur. Nerve cell is the basic unit of CNS， and its dysfunction and death is the root cause of CNS diseases. Ferroptosis is a new form of programmed cell death proposed in recent years， and has been proved to be closely related to the production and development of multiple CNS diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， including Chinese herbs， acupuncture and moxibustion， and massage， has shown unique advantages in the treatment of CNS diseases for a long time. A large number of studies have demonstrated that TCM participates in the regulation of CNS diseases via regulating ferroptosis and shows a good research prospect. This paper summarized the characteristics of ferroptosis and discussed the association between ferroptosis and CNS diseases in pathological mechanism. We also reviewed the regulation of various CNS diseases by different TCM interventions through ferroptosis， providing references for TCM to participate in the treatment of CNS diseases properly in the future.

Current situation of acupuncture and moxibustion patents in China and abroad / 中国针灸

The patents of acupuncture and moxibustion in China and abroad was analyzed, aiming to provide support for the innovative development of acupuncture industry. With the China Think Tank of Patent of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the PatSnap database as data sources, based on the mathematical statistics method, the application trend, legal status, patent types, transformation and distribution of major technical fields of acupuncture patents in China and abroad were analyzed. As a result, a total of 53,422 acupuncture patents were screened, involving 49 countries and 4 organizations. The patent types were mainly utility model patents. Although the application number of acupuncture patent had increased rapidly, the average patent conversion rate was generally low, approximately 4%. In the context of global economic integration, the acupuncture industry is developing at a high speed. It is suggested to take advantage of the "Belt and Road Initiative" to improve the international acceptance of acupuncture and moxibustion, adhere to the principle of attaching equal importance to the number and quality of patents, promote the in-depth cooperation of industry-university-research, and promote high-quality development of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Overview and reflection on the development of the first batch of the inheritance studios of acupuncture and moxibustion academic schools / 中国针灸

The development status of the first 11 inheritance studios of acupuncture and moxibustion academic schools is summarized. Aiming at the current problems, it is suggested to establish qualitative and quantitative evaluation standards and establish a fair and reasonable evaluation system, build a systematic scientific theory and excavate the inherent laws of the schools, implement standardized management of the schools and protect the personalized characteristics of the schools, open outpatient clinic of acupuncture and moxibustion schools and promote the characteristic diagnosis and treatment technology, to promote the inheritance and development of acupuncture and moxibustion academic schools.

Discussion on "sugar needle - comfortable acupuncture and moxibustion" / 中国针灸

The cases of feeling comfort during acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in literature were summarized and its biological basis was explored. A simple classification of comfort was made, and the importance of obtaining comfort in acupuncture treatment was pointed out. Considering the pursuit of less pain and harmlessness in modern clinical treatment, sugar needle should be advocated and popularized in current clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Effects of staged acupuncture on endometrial receptivity and anxiety in patients with recurrent implantation failure of thin endometrium based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy between staged acupuncture based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory combined with routine hormone replacement cycle treatment and routine hormone replacement cycle treatment for patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) of thin endometrium.@*METHODS@#A total of 72 RIF patients with thin endometrium were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 36 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with routine hormone replacement cycle treatment. Based on the treatment of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with staged acupuncture based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory. The main acupoints were Neiguan (PC 6) and Gongsun (SP 4), and the supplementary acupoints were selected according to the menstrual cycle and syndrome differentiation; the acupuncture was given once every other day, 3 times a week, for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. The thickness and shape of endometrium, and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) score were observed at implantation window before and after treatment; the clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate and cycle cancellation rate were compared between the two groups; the correlation between endometrial thickness and HAMA score was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the endometrial thickness in the two groups and the proportion of type A+B endometrium in the observation group were increased (P<0.05), and the HAMA scores in the two groups were decreased (P<0.05) after treatment. The above indexes in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (P<0.05). The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the cycle cancellation rate was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between endometrial thickness and HAMA score (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Based on the routine hormone replacement cycle treatment, the addition use of staged acupuncture based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory could improve the thickness and shape of endometrium, relieve anxiety, increase the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate, and reduce the cycle cancellation rate in RIF patients with thin endometrium. The curative effect is superior to the routine hormone replacement cycle treatment alone.

The rules of acupoint selection of acupuncture and moxibustion for scrofula in ancient times / 中国针灸

Based on data mining technology, the rules of acupoint selection of acupuncture-moxibustion for scrofula in ancient times were analyzed. The relevant articles of acupuncture and moxibustion for scrofula were searched in the Chinese Medical Code, and the original article, acupoint name, acupoint characteristic, and acupoint meridian tropism, etc. were screened and extracted. The Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to establish a acupoint prescription database, and the frequency of acupoints as well as their meridian tropism and characteristics were analyzed. The SPSS21.0 was applied to perform cluster analysis of acupuncture prescriptions; the SPSS Modeler 18.0 was used to perform the association rules analysis of the neck and the chest-armpit acupoints, respectively. As a result, 314 acupuncture prescriptions were extracted, including 236 single-acupoint prescriptions and 78 multiple-acupoints prescriptions (53 for neck and 25 for chest-armpit). A total of 54 acupoints were involved, with a total frequency of 530. The top 3 commonly-used acupoints were Tianjing (TE 10), Zulinqi (GB 41) and Taichong (LR 3); the most commonly-used meridians were hand shaoyang meridian, foot shaoyang meridian, hand yangming meridian and foot yangming meridian; the most commonly-used special acupoints were he-sea points and shu-stream points. The cluster analysis obtained 6 clusters, and the association rule analysis obtained that the core prescriptions of the neck were Quchi (LI 11), Jianyu (LI 15), Tianjing (TE 10) and Jianjing (GB 21), while the core prescriptions of the chest-armpit were Daling (PC 7), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Danzhong (CV 17), Jianjing (GB 21), Waiguan (TE 5), Zhigou (TE 6), Yuanye (GB 22) and Zhangmen (LR 13). The core prescriptions obtained from association rule analysis by difference areas were basically consistent with those by cluster analysis of total prescriptions.

Re-evaluation of systematic reviews of acupuncture and moxibustion for childhood autism / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To re-evaluate the systematic review/Meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion for childhood autism (CA), aiming to provide decision-making basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.@*METHODS@#The systematic review and/or Meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion for CA were searched in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases. The retrieval time was from the database establishment to May 5th, 2022. PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) was used to evaluate the report quality, and AMSTAR 2 (a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews 2) was used to evaluate the methodological quality, bubble map was used to construct the evidence map and GRADE was used to evaluate the quality of evidence.@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 systematic reviews were included. The PRISMA scores ranged from 13 to 26. The report quality was low, and there was a serious lack in the aspects of program and registration, search, other analysis and funding. The main problems in methodology included not making prespecified protocol, incomplete retrieval strategy, not providing a list of excluded literatures, and incomplete explanation on heterogeneity analysis and bias risk. The evidence map showed that 6 conclusions were valid, 2 conclusions were possible valid and 1 conclusion was uncertain valid. The overall quality of evidence was low, and the main factors leading to the downgrade were limitations, followed by inconsistency, imprecision and publication bias.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture and moxibustion has a certain effect for CA, but the quality of reporting, methodology and evidence in included literature need to be improved. It is suggested to perform high-quality and standardized research in the future to provide evidence-based basis.

Brief introduction of Qilu modern acupuncture methods / 中国针灸

Qilu acupuncture and moxibustion has promoted the formation and development of traditional Chinese medicine, which has a special historical position. By systematically collecting, sorting out and summarizing the characteristic acupuncture methods and academic ideas of several Qilu acupuncturists since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the understanding of the advantages and characteristics of Qilu modern acupuncture methods is deepened, aiming to exploring the inheritance and development pattern of Qilu acupuncture methods in the new era.

Application characteristics of Qugu (CV 2) in ancient and modern literature / 中国针灸

To summarize and analyze the clinical application characteristics of Qugu (CV 2) in ancient and modern literature based on data mining technology. The Chinese Medical Code (the 5th edition) was taken as the retrieval source of ancient literature, while the CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases were taken as the retrieval source of modern literature. The indications of Qugu (CV 2) used alone or with compatible acupoints, compatible acupoints, acupuncture-moxibustion manipulation, etc., were systematically sorted out. As a result, a total of 140 articles of ancient literature were included. The common indications of Qugu (CV 2) used alone were urinary retention, profuse vaginal discharge and hernia. The common indications of Qugu (CV 2) used with compatible acupoints were profuse vaginal discharge, stranguria and hernia. Sixty-four acupoints were concurrently used with Qugu (CV 2), Qugu (CV 2) was mainly compatible with acupoints of conception vessel, bladder meridian and liver meridian, and the high-frequency acupoints included Zhongji (CV 3), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6); five-shu points were the most used special acupoints, and moxibustion therapy was often used. A total of 73 modern articles were included. The common indications of Qugu (CV 2) used alone were urinary retention, erectile dysfunction and chronic prostatitis; the common indications of Qugu (CV 2) used with compatible scupoints were urinary retention, erectile dysfunction and prostatic hyperplasia. Thirty-six acupoints were concurrently used with Qugu (CV 2), Qugu (CV 2) was mainly compatible with acupoints of conception vessel, kidney meridian and spleen meridian, and the high-frequency acupoints included Zhongji (CV 3), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36); front-mu points were the most used special acupoints, and acupuncture therapy was often used. Qugu (CV 2) treats a wide range of diseases in ancient times, the distant treatment effectiveness of acupoints is emphasized; and it mainly treats local diseases in modern times, the nearby treatment effectiveness of acupoints is emphasized.

Basic and Clinical Research Review of the Effects of Acupuncture and Moxibustion on Peripheral Facial Nerve Paralysis / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

There is little common understanding among acupuncturists regarding the poor prognosis for peripheral facial paralysis, evaluation methods, precautions during treatment, including acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. Cooperation among relevant occupations is also a major issue. Currently, the treatment of paralysis is focused on how to minimize sequelae during the recovery process of paralysis in cases with poor prognosis. The goal is to prevent sequelae and improve patient quality of life (QOL). For that purpose, it is important to understand the guidelines for medical treatment of paralysis, and like other medical staff, the acupuncturist should provide appropriate medical examination, treatment, self-care guidance, etc., and cooperate with other medical specialists. We hope that this seminar will provide a common understanding of the pathophysiology and evaluation methods of paralysis, precautions for acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, and a consensus of clinical research and the future possibility of using acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of paralysis.

Report on the Republic of Korea-Japan Symposium on Frailty and Sarcopenia / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

The 2022 International Conference for Global Cooperation in Traditional Medicine was held in a hybrid meeting at the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotel in Seoul on the 1st and 2nd of November 2022. This international conference was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea, organized by the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development, and supported by The Society of Korean Medicine. At this conference, a bilateral exchange of acupuncture and moxibustion therapies between Japan and Korea was held at the Republic of Korea-Japan Symposium I. The aims of the symposium were to combine conventional and traditional medical knowledge of frailty and sarcopenia and to share possible ideas to develop proper treatment for frailty and sarcopenia.

The Position of Oriental Medicine in COVID-19 / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

The number of patients with novel coronavirus infections (COVID-19) continues to increase with Omicron now the predominant strain, even amidst the three-dense (close-in, dense, and close-out) avoidance and vaccination strategies. In collaboration with the local government, Tohoku University Hospital has provided a large-scale vaccination center, drive-through outpatient PCR testing clinic, outpatient assessment, support for management of residential care facilities for the mildly ill, support for elderly care facilities, and an antibody cocktail center, to minimize deaths due to COVID-19. In residential care facilities for the mildly ill and others in need of medical support, we established an information sharing and house call system. Furthermore, we developed DX in cooperation with a wide-area IT system and have so far continued to achieve zero fatalities in residential care facilities. In addition, the Japanese Society for Oriental Medicine has conducted clinical research using Kampo medicine for the prevention of disease onset, treatment in the acute stage, and treatment of prolonged symptoms, with results suggesting that Kampo medicine has some effect in reducing disease severity in the acute stage. The COVID-19 response is a long-term effort to update the knowledge and techniques in Western, traditional, and Future Medicine. The response and updating of combined knowledge and skills will continue over the longterm. It is also necessary to continue to disseminate and share information among various professions, and give back information in the field and make steady and continuous efforts among multiple professions.

Acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at stable stage: a network Meta-analysis / 中国针灸

The efficacy on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at stable stage treated with different methods of acupuncture and moxibustion was evaluated using network Meta-analysis method. The articles of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) on stable COPD treated with acupuncture and moxibustion were searched electronically in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and Cochrane library. The search was conducted from the inception of the databases to March 20th, 2022. Data analysis was performed using R4.1.1, Stata16.0 and RevMan5.3 softwares. A total of 48 RCTs were included, involving 15 kinds of acupuncture and moxibustion interventions and a sample size of 3 900 cases. The results of network Meta-analysis showed that: ① For the forced expiratory volume in one second predicted (FEV1%), both the governor vessel moxibustion combined with conventional treatment (G+C therapy) and the yang-supplementing moxibustion combined with conventional treatment (Y+C therapy) obtained the better effect than that of the conventional treatment (P<0.05), and the G+C therapy was more effective compared with the thread-embedding therapy combined with conventional treatment (E+C therapy) and warm needling (P<0.05). ② Concerning to COPD assessment test (CAT) score, the results indicated that the Y+C therapy, and the mild moxibustion combined with conventional treatment (M+C therapy) were more effective when compared with the conventional treatment (P<0.05), and the effect of the Y+C therapy was better than that of the E+C therapy (P<0.05). ③ Regarding six-minute walking distance (6MWD), the effect of acupuncture combined with conventional treatment (A+C therapy) was better than that of either the E+C therapy or the conventional treatment (P<0.05). The effect of the G+C therapy was optimal for improving FEV1%, the Y+C therapy obtained the best effect for improving CAT score, and A+C therapy was the most effective for improving 6MWD. Due to the limitation of the quality and quantity of included studies, this conclusion needs to be further verified through high-quality RCT.