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Acupuncture and Neck-Shoulder Pain
Thirty-seven patients with chronic neck and shoulder pain were treated with a series of electro-acupuncture treatments. All patients had been unresponsive to previous conventional and placebo treatments for their pain. This was a double blind study.
Researchers looked at the hypnotic profile for each patient and found that there was no correlation between acupuncture results and hypnotic suggestibility.
Twenty-four or 64.9% patients obtained significant long term improvement. An increase in regional microcirculation by peripheral sympathetic blockade from electro-acupuncture is thought to be responsible for the tissue healing and subsequent pain relief. *
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Long-term therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture for chronic neck and shoulder pain--a double blind study. Peng AT ; Behar S ; Yue S [J Acupunct Electrother Res 1987;12(1):37-44]
Effect of acupuncture treatment on chronic neck and shoulder pain in sedentary female workers:
a 6-month and 3-year follow-up study.
The study was carried out to examine whether acupuncture treatment can reduce chronic pain in the neck and shoulders and related headache, and also to examine whether possible effects are long-lasting. Therefore, 24 female office workers (47+/-9 years old, mean+/-SD) who had had neck and shoulder pain for 12+/-9 years were randomly assigned to a test group (TG) or a control group (CG). Acupuncture was applied 10 times during 3-4 weeks either at presumed anti-pain acupoints (TG) or at placebo-points (CG). A physician measured the pain threshold (PPT) in the neck and shoulder regions with algometry before the first treatment, and after the last one and six months after the treatments. Questionnaires on muscle pain and headache were answered at the same occasions and again 3 years after the last treatment. The intensity and frequency of pain fell more for TG than for CG (Pb < or = 0.04) during the treatment period. Three years after the treatments TG still reported less pain than before the treatments (Pw < 0.001) contrary to what CG did (Pb < 0.04) The degree of headache fell during the treatment period for both groups, but more for TG than for CG (Pb=0.02) Three years after the treatments the effect still lasted for TG (Pw < 0.01) while the degree of headache for CG was back to the pre-treatment level (Pb < 0.001) PPT of some muscles rose during the treatments for TG and remained higher 6 months after the treatments (Pw < 0.05) which contrasts the situation for CG. Adequate acupuncture treatment may reduce chronic pain in the neck and shoulders and related headache. The effect lasted for 3 years. (Pain. 2004 Jun;109(3):203-4. )
Acupuncture balances anxious immune system
Acupuncture has been found to counteract impairment of the immune system associated with anxiety. Thirty four female patients, 30-60 years old, suffering from anxiety, received ten acupuncture sessions during the course of a year (leading to complete remission in all cases). Sessions lasted 30 min and 19 points were used. Blood samples were taken from all patients before and 72 hours after the first acupuncture treatment and a subset of 12 patients had blood taken immediately after the first session and one month after the end of the whole course of treatment. A variety of immune parameters was measured in each blood sample. Immune functions that were reduced in anxious women (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, lymphoproliferation and natural killer cell activity) were found to be significantly improved by acupuncture, while those that were over active (superoxide anion levels and excessive lymphoproliferation) were lowered significantly. Acupuncture was thus shown to have a modulatory effect on the immune system in this group of patients. **
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Effect of acupuncture treatment on the immune function impairment found in anxious women. Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(1):35-51.
Acupuncture and Depression
A new hope for reliefPsychologist John Allen, from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Acupuncturist Rosa Schnyer, conducted the very first pilot controlled study on treating depression symptoms with acupuncture in the Western scientific world. In a double blind randomized study, 34 depressed female patients who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were assigned to one of three treatment groups for eight weeks.
The first group received acupuncture treatment specifically tailored to their depression symptoms. The second group received a general acupuncture treatment not specific to depression, and the third group was placed on a waiting list for acupuncture treatment, but received no treatment. The study found that those in the tailored acupuncture treatment experienced a significant reduction in symptoms, compared to those in the non-specific treatment. Moreover, over 50% of the participants no longer met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for depression after the study.
The study findings suggest that using acupuncture alone could be as effective as other types of treatments for relieving depression symptoms typically used in Western medicine, such as psychotherapy and drugs. While these results are promising and the United Nations World Health Organization has approved acupuncture as a treatment for depression, further clinical trials with larger samples are deemed necessary to endorse this new hope for relief.
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Allen, J. J. B. (2000). Depression and acupuncture: a controlled clinical trial. Psychiatric Times Online, 22, 3.
Acupuncture Passes The Fibromyalgia Test
In another study, fibromyalgia patients treated with six sessions of acupuncture experienced significant symptomatic improvement compared to a group given sham acupuncture. 50 patients with moderate to severe, recalcitrant fibromyalgia, for whom other symptom-relief treatments were ineffective, were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture (neither group knew which), administered in six sessions over two to three weeks. Patients receiving true acupuncture experienced significantly greater relief of pain, fatigue and anxiety than the sham acupuncture patients, with the greatest improvement showing one month after the end of treatment but reverting to baseline levels at a seven-month follow-up. **
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The International Association for the Study of Pain 11th World Congress on Pain, Sydney, Australia).
Acupuncture and Soft Tissue Injury
Soft tissue injury patients were divided into groups. 360 observations were made on 120 cases of soft tissue injury. Among the 100 patients in the acupuncture treatment group, 300 observations were made; among the 20 controls there were 60 observations.
The effective rate in the acupuncture treatment group was 85.00%; in the control group it was 41.67%, a very significant difference. The effective rate for the first course of treatment was 74.00%; it was 90.50% when more than two courses were given, a very significant difference indicating the marked effect of acupuncture treatment.
There was very significant difference in the degree of pressed pain on the patient's tender spot before and after acupuncture treatment, also in the EMG amplitude on the affected side of the lumbar area before and after acupuncture treatment during light and heavy force in extension action of back muscles. *
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Observations on clinical therapeutic effect in treating soft tissue injuries by acupuncture, with pain threshold and electromyography as parameters Yuan CX; Xing JH; Yan CYJ Tradit Chin Med, 9(1):40-4 1989 Mar.
ACUPUNCTURE & Chronic Back Pain
A German study into the treatment of chronic back pain has compared the benefits of: 1: true acupuncture plus conservative orthopaedic treatment, 2: sham acupuncture plus conservative orthopaedic treatment, 3: conservative orthopaedic treatment alone. The true acupuncture consisted of needling Shenshu BL-23, Weizhong BL-40, Kunlun BL-60, Jingmen GB-25, Huantiao GB-30, Yanglingquan GB-34, and up to 4 ahshi points bilaterally. Deqi was obtained. All patients received 12 treatments and there was a 3-month follow up. Patients and observers were blinded as to the treatment. The percentage of patients with greater than 50% reduction in VAS pain scores three months after treatment were: Group 1: 77%, Group 2: 29%, and Group 3: 14%. (Pain 2002, Vol. 99(3) p.579).**
Twenty-six patients (19 women, 7 men), who suffered from chronic migraine according underwent acupuncture. In order to evaluate the long-term stability of treatment effects, patients documented frequency, duration, and intensity of attacks as well as analgesic intake in a migraine diary, which was kept for 5-week periods before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 3 years later.
Data showed improvement greater than 33% for 18 patients (69%) at post treatment and 15 patients (58%) at 3-year follow-up. Drug intake was reduced to 50% and did not re-increase until follow-up. Treatment outcome was associated with personality traits, but not depending on demographic data or severity of migraine. *
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Acupuncture in migraine: long-term outcome and predicting factors. Baischer W Headache, 35(8):472-4 1995 Sep
Acupuncture, Drug Treatment, and Migraines
Researchers wanted to compare the effects of needling of trigger points in the neck region to the drug metoprolol in migraine. This was a randomized, double-blind group comparative study.
Included were patients with a history of migraine with or without aura for at least 2 years. Excluded were persons with contraindications against treatment with beta blockers, chronic pain syndromes, pregnancy or previous experience with acupuncture or beta-blocking agents. A total of 85 patients were included; 77 completed the study.
After a 4-week run-in period, patients were allocated to a 17-week regimen either with acupuncture and placebo tablets or to placebo stimulation and the drug metoprolol 100 mg daily.
The results showed that both groups exhibited significant reduction in attack frequency. No difference was found between the groups regarding frequency or duration of attacks, whereas we found a significant difference in global rating of attacks in favour of metoprolol.
The authors conclude that trigger point inactivation by needling is a valuable supplement to the list of migraine prophylactic tools, being as strong as the drug metoprolol in the influence on frequency and duration (but not severity) of attacks, and superior in terms of negative side-effects. *
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Acupuncture versus metoprolol in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized trial of trigger point inactivation Hesse J; MÍgelvang B; Simonsen H J Intern Med, 235(5):451-6 1994 May.
Acupuncture helps where surgery failed
31 patients (36 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome of a mean 24 months duration, with 14 hands having failed either one or two surgical release procedures, were treated by combined therapy. Primary treatment was low-level laser acupuncture and microamps TENS, and secondary treatment included regular needling and Chinese herbal formulas and supplements. Treatment was given three times a week for 4-5 weeks. After treatment 33 hands experienced either no pain or pain reduced by more than 50%, with all 14 hands that had failed surgery being successfully treated. (Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine 1999; 5 (1):: 5 - 26).**
The immediate analgesic effect of a single acupuncture stimulation treatment on chronic tennis elbow pain was studied in a placebo-controlled single-blind trial completed by 48 patients.
Before and after treatment, all patients were examined physically by an unbiased independent examiner.
Overall reduction in the pain score was 55.8% in the treatment group and 15% in the placebo group. After one treatment 19 out of 24 patients in the treatment group (79.2%) reported pain relief of at least 50% (placebo group: six patients out of 24). The average duration of analgesia after one treatment was 20.2 hours in the treatment group and 1.4 hours in the placebo group.
The results are statistically significant; they show that acupuncture has an intrinsic analgesic effect in the clinical treatment of tennis elbow pain which exceeds that of placebo acupuncture. *
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The analgesic effect of acupuncture in chronic tennis elbow pain Molsberger A; Hille EBr J Rheumatol, 33(12):1162-5 1994 Dec
Twenty six chronic pain patients were tested in a baseline plus cross-over design. Half of the subjects were first treated with high intensity acupuncture; then they were treated with low intensity acupuncture. For the other 13 subjects the treatment order was reversed.
In the first treatment sequence subjects reported lower pain and engaging in more activities of daily living during treatment with high intensity acupuncture - but not with low intensity acupuncture. In addition, under high intensity acupuncture (i.e. with low pain levels), subjects had higher levels of serotonin in the blood; this last finding is consistent with recent research which implicates central serotonin in pain control. The results of the second treatment sequence were ambiguous. *
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High versus low intensity acupuncture analgesia for treatment of chronic pain: effects on platelet serotonin. Mao W; Ghia JN; Scott DS; Duncan GH; Gregg JM. Pain, 8(3):331-42 1980 Jun
Acupuncture for ulcerative colitis
In a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial, 29 patients with mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis were randomly assigned to receive either traditional acupuncture and moxibustion, or sham acupuncture consisting of superficial needling at non-acupuncture points. Patients were treated in 10 sessions over a period of five weeks and followed up for 16 weeks. Colitis Activity Index (CAI) decreased in both acupuncture, sham groups, and in both cases these changes were associated with significant improvements in general well-being. Differences in efficacy between traditional acupuncture and sham acupuncture were small and significant only for CAI as the main outcome measure. The authors conclude that both traditional and sham acupuncture seem to offer therapeutic benefit in this condition. **
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Acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: a randomized controlled study. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2006 Sep;41(9):1056-63.
Acupuncture for chronic prostatitis
A pilot study has assessed the use of body and auricular acupuncture in men suffering from chronic prostatitis /chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Ten men who were refractory to conventional therapies were given 30 minutes of body and auricular acupuncture twice weekly for six weeks. A standardized set of acupuncture points, based on traditional Chinese medicine principles, was used. The body points given at each visit included Waiguan SJ-5, Zulinqi GB-41, Taichong LIV-3, Hegu L.I.-4, Diji SP-8 and Sanyinjiao SP-6. The auricular acupuncture points needled at each visit (alternating ears with each treatment) included Shenmen, Kidney, Liver, Lung and Spleen. Decreases in total prostatitis symptom scores at three and six weeks from baseline were significant and remained so after an additional six weeks of follow-up. Changes in quality of life scores were also significant. **
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A pilot study on acupuncture for lower urinary tract symptoms related to chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain. Chin Med. 2007 Feb 6;2:1.
Acupuncture and Post-Operative Dental Pain
The analgesic effects of acupuncture were compared with those of codeine in the treatment of postoperative dental pain in 40 healthy male volunteers 18 to 30 years old.
Upon the patient's recovery from local anesthesia (lidocaine), he was asked by a trained observer to classify the intensity of his pain as none, mild, moderate, or severe. He then received one of the following treatments: 1. Placebo: lactose, plus acupuncture placebo 2. Codeine: codeine, plus acupuncture placebo 3. Acupuncture: lactose, plus 2 points 4. Codeine - acupuncture: codeine, plus 2 points.
The pain intensity score was recorded by the observer at half-hour intervals for 3 hours. Patients in treatment groups 2, 3 and 4 showed significantly greater pain relief than those in treatment group 1. For the 1st half hour, there was more pain relief with acupuncture treatment alone than with codeine plus acupuncture treatment. However, for the 2, 2 1/2, and 3-hour periods, codeine plus Ho-Ku produced more pain relief than any of the other treatments. *
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Comparison of the effects of acupuncture and codeine on postoperative dental pain. Sung YF; Kutner MH; Cerine FC; Frederickson ELAnesth Analg, 56(4):473-8 1977 Jul-Aug
Acupuncture and Whiplash Injury
In this study, by means of computerized static posturography, the researchers evaluated the postural changes after treatment in a group of 15 patients with balance disorders caused by whiplash injury.
The acupuncture treatment consisted of 3 sessions (one weekly session for 3 weeks) during which the acupuncture points. Each patient underwent posturographic evaluations before and just after each session of acupuncture. The posturographic tests were performed with open eyes, closed eyes ( and closed eyes with retroflexed head.
As a control group, the researchers used 17 patients complaining of the same symptoms as the study group due to whiplash injury, but treated with drugs (FANS and myorelaxing) and physiotherapy only. The patients of the control group also underwent posturographic tests once a week for three weeks.
The researchers observed a significant difference between the two groups regarding the reduction of the closed eyes with retroflexed head. The high percentage of positive results in the whiplash injury patients leads the investigators to advocate the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture for balance disorders due to cervical pathology, where it can be associated with or be a valid alternative to pharmacological treatment. *
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Acupuncture treatment for balance disorders following whiplash injury Fattori B ; Borsari C ; Vannucci G ; Casani A ; Cristofani R ; Bonuccelli L ; Ghilardi PLAcupunct Electrother Res 1996 Jul-Dec;21(3-4):207-17
Thirty six patients (18 males and 18 females, mean age 51 years) were prepared for colonoscopy with acupuncture, without acupuncture or pretend acupuncture at points not expected to bring about pain relief.
In the 12 acupuncture patients mean pain sensitivity, estimated during the examination by means of a visual analog scale, was significantly lower (1 than in the groups without acupuncture or pretend acupuncture.
In addition, analgesics and sedatives needed to be given significantly less to those with acupuncture than those without (analgesics to five, sedatives to eight patients) or with pretend acupuncture (analgesics to four, sedatives to five patients). These data demonstrate that pain connected with colonoscopy can be reduced by preceding acupuncture. *
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Acupuncture to alleviate pain during colonoscopy Li CK; Nauck M; Löser C; Fölsch UR; Creutzfeldt W Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 116(10):367-70 1991 Mar 8
Responses to acupuncture were studied in 30 patients with acute sciatica. Objective and subjective criteria were analyzed before treatment and after five sessions of acupuncture. The study was double blind.
Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 15 were treated on electrically detected points and 15 on placebo points.
In the placebo group, no significant improvement was recorded. Conversely, in the treated group, study of objective criteria showed improvement of the Lasegue sign.
Among subjective symptoms, positive responses were recorded in the duration of improvement, degree of improvement in decubitus and after ten minutes standing, and use of analgesics. Compared to the placebo group these changes are statistically significant. *
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Acupuncture and sciatica in the acute phase. Double-blind study of 30 cases Duplan B ; Cabanel G ; Piton JL ; Grauer JL ; Phelip X [Sem Hop 1983 Dec 8;59(45):3109-14]
Acupuncture Helps Overactive Bladder
A study of 74 women who suffered from an overactive bladder (frequent urination, urinary incontinence, and reduced bladder capacity and urinary volume) randomly assigned the women to either an acupuncture protocol directed at the urinary symptoms, or an acupuncture protocol designed simply to promote urination (in this study referred to as a placebo group). Women in both groups had a significant decrease in the number of incontinent episodes (59% for the treatment group and 40% for the placebo, a non-significant difference). The treatment group however showed a significantly greater reduction in urinary frequency and urgency and a significantly greater increase in maximum voided volume and maximum cystometric capacity. Both groups had an improvement in a urinary stress inventory and incontinence impact questionnaire scores, with a significantly greater benefit in the treatment group. **
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Obstetrics & Gynecology 2005;106:138-143.
Acupuncture Care for Breast Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy: A Feasibility Study
Acupuncture care delivered pragmatically as an adjunct to conventional care may lead to improvements in quality of life and alleviation of conventional treatment-related side effects among breast cancer patients. Patient perceptions and expectations of treatment and the therapeutic relationship inherent to acupuncture care could modify treatment effects. The aim of this study was to design a rigorous feasibility study in preparation for trial to evaluate the effects of acupuncture care (a whole system) on the fatigue experienced by patients undergoing conventional treatment of their breast cancer. Phase 1 included the development of a treatment protocol for a short course of acupuncture care for patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Defining best practice in this context will ensure that the intervention tested will have meaning and validity for all professional acupuncturists. Phase 2 will be a randomized feasibility pilot study using the acupuncture treatment protocol for 40 patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The study will use a mixed-methods approach involving both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Outcome assessment will include validated measures for fatigue, quality of life, and depression. The proposed study will tell us what effects of acupuncture care are important to the patient and address acupuncture as it is practiced in the real world. Results from this study will enable a definitive randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture care for fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
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Integrative Cancer Therapies, Vol. 5, No. 4, 308-314 (2006)
Acupuncture improves nerve conduction in peripheral neuropathy
A pilot study has evaluated the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on peripheral neuropathy (PN) as measured by changes in nerve conduction and assessment of subjective symptoms. One hundred and
ninety-two consecutive patients with PN as diagnosed by nerve conduction studies (NCS) were evaluated over a period of 1 year. Of 47 patients who met the criteria for PN of undefined aetiology, 21 received traditional Chinese acupuncture, while 26 received medical care but no specific treatment for PN. 76% of the acupuncture group improved symptomatically and objectively as measured by NCS, while only 15% of the control group did so. 14% of the acupuncture group showed no change and 10% showed an aggravation, whereas in the control group 27% showed no change and 58% an aggravation. Subjective improvement was fully correlated with improvement in NCS in both groups. **
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Acupuncture treatment improves nerve conduction in peripheral neuropathy. Eur J Neurol. 2007 Mar;14(3):276-81.
* Excerpts taken from American WholeHealth
** Excerpts taken from the News in The Journal of Chinese Medicine
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