Myofascial acupuncture versus routine acupuncture for mechanical neck pain: a protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical neck pain (MNP) is defined as pain in the area of the neck and/or neck-shoulder provoked by body mechanics and which adversely affects physical, psychological and social function. The treatments for MNP are limited. Previous studies and clinical experience have indicated that myofascial acupuncture might be a better treatment option for MNP, but the efficacy is controversial. Therefore, our aim is to compare the efficacy of myofascial acupuncture and routine acupuncture for MNP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is a multicentre, prospective randomised clinical trial. Patients will be recruited from four tertiary hospitals in China. A total of 438 participants with MNP will be randomly assigned into two groups, namely the 'Sancai-Tianbu' myofascial acupuncture group and the routine acupuncture group, at a ratio of 1:1. Each group will receive the acupuncture treatment twice a week for 21 days, totalling six sessions. The primary outcome will be the Visual Analogue Scale score. The secondary outcomes will be the Neck Disability Index, the cervical range of motion and the MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. The assessments will be performed at baseline (immediately after allocation), pretreatment (5 min before every treatment), post-treatment (within 10 min after every treatment), postcourse (within 1 day after the course), and at 1, 3 and 6 months after the course. All patients will be included in the intent-to-treat analysis. Repeated-measure analysis of covariance will be used to determine the effects of the intervention on the outcome measures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation 731 Hospital, with permission number 2022-0204-01. Written informed consent will be obtained from the enrolled patients. Trial results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200061453.

[Effects of acupuncture of Jianjing (GB 21) on gallbladder volume and symptoms of cholecystitis patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture of Jianjing (GB 21) and non-acupoint on gallbladder volume and clinical symptoms of chronic cholecystitis patients. METHODS: Sixty cases of chronic cholecystitis patients were equally randomized into Jianjing (GB 21) group and non-acupoint group. A filiform needle was inserted into Jianjing (GB 21) or non-acupoint (2 cun lateral to the mid-point between the spinous processes of the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae) on the right side, manipulated for a while till "Deqi", and retained for 30 min. A color Doppler ultrasound scanner was used to detect the volume of the gallbladder before and 15 min after acupuncture stimulation and 30 min after withdrawal of the acupuncture needle. Changes of the patients symptoms of shoulder-back pain, stomachache, distension and nausea were evaluated according to the patients' complaints. RESULTS: After acupuncture intervention, the remission rates of shoulder-back pain and stomachache in non-acupoint and GB 21 groups were 56.67% and 90.00% respectively, while the effective rates of the patients' gastric distention and nausea in non-acupoint and GB 21 groups were 16.67% and 23.33%, respectively. The therapeutic effect of Jianjing (GB 21) was apparently superior to that of non-acupoint in pain relief (P < 0.05). Fifteen min following acupuncture stimulation and 30 min after withdrawal of the acupuncture needle, the gallbladder volume in cholecystitis patients with deflated gallbladder was increased apparently in GB 21 group (P < 0.01), and that in patients with expanded gallbladder was decreased significantly (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found among pre-, during and post-treatment in the non-acupoint group in the effects of acupuncture on regulation of the deflated and expanded gallbladder volume (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture stimulation of Jianjing (GB 21) can effectively relieve shoulder-back pain and stomachache, and regulate the volume of the deflated and expanded gallbladder in cholecystitis patients. The effect of acupuncture of non-acupoint is relatively poorer in relieving the cholecystitis patients' symptoms and regulating the gallbladder volume.

[Observation of effect on contraction function of gallbladde by acupuncture at Jianjing (GB 21)].

OBJECTIVE: By B ultrasound, the changes of contraction function of gallbladder by acupuncture at Jianjing (GB 21) were observed and the internal relations between Jianjing (GB 21) and cholecystitis were explored, in order to explore the better therapy. METHODS: Two hundreds cases who had been diagnosed as cholecystitis (acalculous cholecystitis) were classified in observation group, including gallbladder expanding (84 cases) and gallbladder constricting (116 cases); 100 cases who had examined as healthy were taken in control group. Acupuncture at Jianjing (GB 21) on right shoulder was applied in both groups. Through B ultrasound examination, the changes of gallbladder volume in both groups were compared before acupuncture, 15 min after needle insertion and 30 min after needle withdrawing. RESULTS: The gallbladder volume of gallbladder expanding and gallbladder constricting cases were constricted or expanded 15 min after needle insertion and 30 min after needle withdrawing, and there were statistical significances (all P < 0.01). Compared the outcomes at different time points after acupuncture with that before acupuncture, the changes of gallbladder constricting were unobvious (both P > 0.05) in control group. In observation group, the pain relief rate for 142 cases companied with shoulder and back pain was 98.6% (140/142). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Jianjing (GB 21) can improve the gallbladder constricting, regulate bidirectional function of expanding and constricting, and efficiently relieve shoulder and back pain.

[Impacts of Taichong (LR 3) on blood flow velocity in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the intervention on the disturbance of blood flow velocity in vertebral artery in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) treated with acupuncture at Taichong (LR 3) so that the clinical evidences could be provided for the research of acupoint specificity. METHODS: One hundred cases of VBI were tested with Transcranial Doppler (TCD) and 43 vessels of low velocity of blood flow and 79 vessels of high velocity of blood flow were discovered. Additionally, 50 cases of normal people were selected in control group, including totally 100 vertebral arteries. The velocity changes in systolic period (Vs) of vertebral artery were observed before and after acupuncture at Taichong (LR 3). RESULTS; After acupuncture at Taichong (LR 3), Vs of vertebral artery in low velocity cases was increased apparently. Vs in 5 to 10 min after acupuncture and half a hour after needle withdrawal was different significantly in statistics as compared with Vs before acupuncture (both P < 0.01). Vs of vertebral artery in high velocity cases was reduced apparently. Vs in 5 to 10 min after acupuncture and half a hour after needle withdrawal was different significantly in statistics as compared with Vs before acupuncture (both P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in statistics in comparison before and after acupuncture in control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Taichong (LR 3) improves blood supply in vertebral artery in the mode of dual regulation and rectifies the disturbance of vertebral artery blood flow in dynamics.