Pilot Study of Acupuncture's Antispasmodic Effect on Upper Gastrointestinal Tract during Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer: Controlled Clinical Trial.

A prospective study was conducted in patients with early-stage gastric cancer to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture stimulation as an antispasmodic compared with conventional medication during the procedure of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of the upper gastrointestinal tract. This study was a prospective single blinded quasi-randomized controlled trial. Seventy-three patients who were scheduled to undergo ESD for gastric cancer at Aizu Medical Center between 19 February 2016 and 30 June 2016 were assessed for eligibility for the study. Sixty out of 73 patients were included in the study and assigned into two intervention groups: medication group (MG) and acupuncture group (AG). Ease of the procedure was evaluated using modified NIWA classification (MNC) by endoscopist considering the frequency and amplitude of the upper gastrointestinal peristalsis. For the statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the differences of MNC values (baseline and end of procedure) between two groups. The difference of MNC found in the AG (-2.00 (-3.0 to -2.0)) was significantly greater than that in the MG (-1.00 (-2.0 to -1.0), p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test). We consider that acupuncture to the abdomen could be an alternative antispasmodic method during upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure.

Acupuncture Alleviated the Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease including Pain, Depression, and Autonomic Symptoms.

A woman started to feel intractable pain on her lower legs when she was 76. At the age of 78, she was diagnosed as having Parkinson's disease (PD). The leg pain was suspected to be a symptom of PD after eliminating other causes. The patient also suffered from nonmotor symptoms, depression, anxiety, hot flashes, and paroxysmal sweating. Though the patient had received pharmacotherapy including levodopa for 5 years, she still suffered from the nonmotor symptoms and was referred to our department. We treated her with acupuncture based on the Chinese traditional medicine and electroacupuncture five times per week. After the 2-week treatment, the assessment for the symptoms was as follows; visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the leg pain was 16 mm (70 mm, before), Hamilton's rating scales for depression (HAM-D) score was 9 (18, before), timed 3 m Up and Go took 20 steps in 30 sec (24 steps in 38 sec, before), and the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part 1 score was 13 (21, before). Autonomic symptoms, hot flashes and paroxysmal sweating, were also alleviated. Acupuncture may be a good treatment modality for nonmotor symptoms in PD.