Electroacupuncture Therapy for Urinary Retention in an Elderly Patient.

Background: Urinary retention is the inability to urinate voluntarily and difficulty in urinating even when the bladder is full. Acute urinary retention is most common in men aged 60-80. In the past 5 years, 10% of men older than age 70 and almost a third of men in their 80s have experienced acute urinary retention. Risk factors include prostate enlargement, increasing age, African-American race, obesity, diabetes mellitus, high alcohol consumption, and lack of physical activity. Treatment for urinary retention is mainly urethral catheterization, but it can be uncomfortable for a patient in the long term. Case: A 68-year-old man was unable to urinate voluntarily for 3 months and was diagnosed with urinary retention caused by a hypotonic bladder and was initially given a catheter. The patient then received manual acupuncture therapy in acupoints ST-28, CV-3, CV-4 and CV-6, and electroacupuncture (EA) therapy in acupoints SP-6, SP-9, BL-23, BL-25, BL-31, BL-32, BL-33, and BL34, with a continuous-wave, at a frequency of 2 Hz. Acupuncture therapy was carried out for 12 sessions, twice per week. Results: After 5 sessions of acupuncture therapy, the patient's urinary retention was resolved. He felt the urge to urinate and was able to urinate voluntarily even after removing the catheter, He also experienced an increase in his quality of life, as shown on an EQ-5D questionnaire with an increased score from 50 to 80. Conclusions: A combination of manual acupuncture and EA in an elderly patient can be a safe choice to reduce or resolve symptoms of urinary retention.

Combination of Manual Acupuncture, Penetrating Needling, and Electroacupuncture to Treat Bell's Palsy.

Background: Bell's palsy is an acute idiopathic paralysis of lower motor neurons on only 1 side of the face without any identifiable etiology. The condition affects a patient's physical, social, and psychologic health. It is important for the patient to recover quickly and minimize the risk of long-term sequelae. Therefore, researchers recommend a combination of several therapeutic modalities to shorten the disease's course and improve curative effects. Case: A 34-year-old woman had with right facial weakness. She was diagnosed with House-Brackmann grade III Bell's palsy and received medical therapy. She was also given manual acupuncture at GB-20, BL-2, ST-36, LI-4, TE-5 bilateral, and GV-20. Penetrating needling was given at GB-14 toward Ex-HN-3, ST-7 toward SI-18, SI-18 toward LI-20, ST-6 toward ST-4, and ST-5 toward ST-4 on the affected area, with a 30-minute needle retention. Electroacupuncture (EA) was delivered at ST-7-SI-18, ST-6-ST-5, GB-14-Ex-HN-5, and ST-4-CV-24, with a dense-disperse wave, at a frequency of 10/50 Hz for 20 minutes. She had treatment sessions twice per week, for a total of12 sessions. Results: From her 7th to 12th visit, this patient had reached House-Brackmann grade I. No adverse effects occurred. Conclusions: In this patient, a combination of acupuncture penetrating needling technique and EA played a role to shorten her recovery time and minimize the risk of sequelae of Bell's palsy. The treatment combination used in this case report can be considered in other clinical cases.

Case Report: The Role of Multilead Laser Needle and Laser Pen with Dietary Interventions on Grade 2 Obesity.

Background: Obesity is an accumulation of excessive fat tissue that can affect health. Acupuncture has a positive effect on leptin, ghrelin, insulin resistance, glucose metabolism, lipids, serum immunoglobulin levels, and decreased appetite. Laser as an acupuncture modality can be a good option because it is easy to apply, noninvasive, and painless. Laser acupuncture works using a laser pulse to stimulate acupuncture points with a therapeutic effect similar to needle acupuncture. Case: A 19-year-old woman came to the acupuncture clinic of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (Jakarta, Indonesia) wanting to lose weight and slim down. Acupuncture was done at the following points CV12, ST25, SP15, ST40, ST36, and SP6 with a laser needle multilead continuous wave 4 J for each point with power density 40 mW for 7 minutes. Acupuncture was done with a laser pen RJ-Laser continuous wave 0.5 J for each hunger point with power density 50 mW for 25 seconds, therapy was performed 3 times a week for 2 months. Results: Decrease in body weight and a decrease in abdominal circumference were noted after 24 sessions. The highest peak of weight loss at the 18th session was 11.5 cm in the umbilicus circumference, above the umbilicus by 6.5 cm, below the umbilicus by 9 cm, then stable with the final result of a decrease in the umbilicus circumference of 10 cm, above the umbilicus by 4 cm, and under the umbilicus by 5 cm. Decrease in random blood sugar was noted from 122 to 100 mg/dL. Conclusion: A combination of laser needle multilead and laser pen had good results in this case and may be useful for weight loss and a decrease in abdominal circumference in obese patients.

Reduced Pain and Improved Quality of Life After Laser Acupuncture Therapy for Trigger Finger.

Background: Trigger fingers is a condition that causes locking/stiffness due to inflammation and hypertrophy of the tendon sheaths. This inflammatory process occurs due to degenerative conditions, such as aging, chronic daily overuse, and other factors such as metabolic disorders. Case: A 51-year-old woman had grade IIIb trigger finger on her right hand for ∼2 months before going to an outpatient clinic. She also had stiffness and swelling for a longer time but it felt more severe by the time she presented at the clinic, thus, interfering with her work and quality of life (QoL). She was given acupuncture with low-level-laser therapy, using a low-energy laser, 3 times per week, on her right hand. The unilateral points used were LU-10 Yuji, LI-4 Hegu, PC-6 Neiguan, LI-11 Quchi, GB-21 Jianjing, and an Ashi point on the first finger of the metacarpophalangeal [MCP-I] joint). The bilateral body points used were ST 36 Zusanli and LR-3 Taichong. Results: After 12 sessions of therapy, there was a decrease her numerical rating scale (NRS) score of 6/10 to an NRS score of 0/10. She also had an improvement in her QoL, as measured by the Short Form-36 and Quick-Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand instruments. Conclusions: Laser acupuncture may be considered for treating pain and improving QoL of patients with trigger finger. In addition, laser acupuncture causes minimal side-effects, compared with other medical treatments.

Laser Acupuncture Therapy in Elderly Patients with a Trigger Digit and Diabetes.

Background: Trigger digits or stenosing tenosynovitis comprise a pathologic condition of the fingers caused by inflammation and thickening of the synovial tendon sheaths. Treatment of trigger digits is performed to relieve pain and improve function of the affected fingers. Case: A 64-year-old male patient, with pain (visual analogue scale [VAS] score of 5) and stiffness in the fifth finger of his right hand. He was diagnosed with a trigger digit and controlled type 2 diabetes. He received laser acupuncture therapy at a Nogier ABF frequency at a dose of 6 Joules per point at the SI-2 Qiangu point, Ex-UE-9 Baxie point, and a local point on the nodule of his right hand; and manual acupuncture at the LI-4 Hegu point bilaterally. Results: After 7 sessions of acupuncture therapy, this patient did not have any pain (a VAS score of 0), the fifth finger of his right hand could be fully flexed, and there was almost no resistance to finger extension. There was no longer swelling and redness of his fingers, and the size of the nodules was reduced. There was an increase in his quality of life per the EQ-5D questionnaire from a scale of 70/100 to a scale of 85/100. Conclusions: This report describes an elderly patient with a trigger digit and diabetes for whom a combination of laser and manual acupuncture therapy was very helpful. Laser acupuncture can be an option for patients who have contraindications to pharmacologic or interventional therapies.

Comparison between the Effectiveness of Manual Acupuncture and Laser Acupuncture at EX-B3 Weiwanxiashu in a Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by increased blood sugar levels. The current management of DM to date has a target of controlling blood glucose, but the therapy cannot be separated from long-term drug side effects. Acupuncture can be an option as an adjunct therapy for DM. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness between manual acupuncture and laser acupuncture. Methods: This study was a randomized control experimental study with a pretest and posttest design using 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into 4 groups: a normal group, a diabetes group, an acupuncture group, and a laser group. Manual acupuncture and laser acupuncture were performed 6 times in two weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, the cell density of Langerhans islets, and side effects were assessed and compared among the 4 groups. Results: The highest mean cell density of Langerhans islets was found in the laser and acupuncture group, and the lowest was found in the diabetes group. In the post hoc analysis, the normal, acupuncture, and the laser groups had a significantly higher mean cell density than the diabetes group. The lowest mean FBG level was in the laser group, followed by the acupuncture group, and the highest was in the diabetes group, but this difference was not significant. There were no serious side effects from the use of manual acupuncture or laser acupuncture. Conclusion: Both manual acupuncture and laser acupuncture can improve the histological findings of Langerhans islets in type 2 diabetic rats, and both are safe to use.

The Role of Acupuncture in Interventional Pain Management.

Objective: Interventional pain management has been recognized over the last couple of decades for treating chronic-pain syndromes. Acupuncture is a nonpharmacologic therapeutic option for pain management and may be an option for different patients with contraindications for interventional pain management. This review explores this options. Method: This limited review examines the role of acupuncture for managing head-and-neck pain and lower-back pain, according to interventional pain management. Conclusions: Acupuncture at various points, corresponding to the stellate ganglion, which is ST 10 Shuitu, and corresponding to the splanchnic nerve and the facet joint of the lumbar vertebra-which are Ex-B2 paravertebra-can be applied for pain management in the head-and-neck area and in the lower-back area. According to various research findings, acupuncture is effective and safe for reducing pain in the head and neck area, as well as in the lower back.