The use of traditional Chinese medicine internally and externally combined with auricular acupuncture point bloodletting in the treatment of vulvar leukoplakia

Vulvar leukoplakia refers to the chronic disease of degeneration and hypopigmentation of the skin and mucous membrane of the vulva with unbearable itching in women, seriously affecting the quality of life. The main treatment of western medicine for vulvar leukoplakia is the external use of glucocorticoids or estrogen, resulting to the high recurrence rate and side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of the overall concept and dialectical treatment with a variety of ways. Literature review in recent years found that the treatment of TCM decoction combined with external therapies, such as external fumigation, acupuncture and other treatments, or the combination of TCM decoction and external western medicine hormone ointment, can obtain good effects in vulvar leukoplakia. During the clinical practice, we found that the use of TCM internally and externally combined with auricular acupuncture point bloodletting was highly effective with unique advantages in the treatment of vulvar leukoplakia, providing the ideas guidance for clinicians.

Catgut Implantation at Baliao and Xingfu One Acupuncture Point to Treat Dysdefecation in Patients with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Three Cases Report

Objective: To probe into the effect of catgut implantation at Baliao and Xingfu One Acupuncture Point on dysdefecation in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Three SCI patients voluntarily accepted catgut embedding at Baliao and Xingfu One Acupuncture point. Before and after treatment, they were filled out the self-rating scale of defecation, including the data of defecation frequency, total defecation time, defecation effort, fecal texture, fecal characteristics and fecal incontinence, etc. Results: Compared with the baseline data, constipation was improved and fecal incontinence was disappeared. Conclusions: Catgut implantation at Baliao and Xingfu One Acupuncture Point is effectual for patients with neurogenic dysporia secondary to incomplete SCI.

Therapeutic effect of acupuncture point injection with placental extract in knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE： This study evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture point injection （API） with placenta extract on pain reduction and joint function in patients with knee osteoarthritis （OA）. METHODS： Fifty-two patients with knee OA, with an average age of 64, and having a symptom duration of more than 3 months were studied in this report. Placental extract was injected weekly into acupuncture point ST35, BL23, BL24 and BL25 for 5 weeks; 8 mL of placental extract into ST35 on the affected side, and 1 mL of placental extract to BL23, BL24 and BL25 bilaterally. RESULTS： After a five-week treatment of API with placental extract, pain was substantially decreased in patients of all Kellgren-Lawrence （KL） grades. Improvement of knee joint swelling was also apparent Decrease of pain and joint swelling improved daily working productive time among patients of all KL grades. CONCLUSION： Study results imply that API with placental extract is a potentially useful therapy to control pain and maintain joint functions in knee OA patients.

The Affects of Acupuncture at Sibai and Neiting Acupoints on Gastric Peristalsis

The frequency and amplitude of gastric peristaltic wave were significantly changed in 15 subjects when Sibai (ST 2) and Neiting (ST 44) acupoints of the Stomach Channel of Foot-Yangming were punctured. The results demonstrate that these acupoints are effective for treatment of stomach diseases, providing an experimental basis for the theory of channels and collaterals.

Acupuncture Points Used in the Prophylaxis against Recurrent Uncomplicated Cystitis, Patterns Identified and Their Possible Relationship to Physiological Measurements

Objective： To explore the correlation between single acupoints used and the recurrence rate of cystitis among cystitis-prone women receiving acupuncture as a prophylactic treatment. Methods： In all, 58 cystitis-prone women were included in the analysis. Customised acupuncture treatments were given twice a week, over 4 weeks. The main effect parameter was the number of cystitis episodes during the 6-month observation time. Residual urine was measured at baseline, 2, 4 and 6 months using portable ultrasound equipment. Sympathetic and vagotone nerve activities were measured by using skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, respectively. Results： The main acupoints used for patients with Kidney （Shen） qi/yang deficiency were Shenshu （BL23）, Taixi （KI3）, Zhongji （CV3）, Sanyinjiao （SP6） and Pangguangshu （BL2.8）, compared with Taichong （LR3）, CV3, BL28, Yinlingquan （SP9） and SP6 for Liver （Gan） qi stagnation, and SP6, CV3, BL28, Zusanli （ST36） and SP9 for Spleen （Pi） qi/yang deficiency patients. The combination BL23 and KI3 were used in 16 women, 13 of which were Kidney pattern related patients. When used, the number of symptomatic episodes were reduced to a third compared with what occurred in the 42 women where this combination was not used （3/16 vs. 28/42, P〈0.05）. BL23 application correlated to a significant reduction in residual urine measured a few days after treatment. Patients with the pattern of Spleen qi/yang deficiency had an initial increase in residual urine after treatments. Conclusion： Treating Kidney pattern related patients with the combination of BL23 and KI3 resulted in far better outcome than other points/combination of points for other Chinese medicine diagnoses. The acupoint SP6 may be less indicated than previously assumed when treating cvstitis-Drone women DroDhvlacticalIv.

Effects of Electroacupuncture at Weiwanxiashu and Zusanli Points on Blood Glucose and Plasma Pancreatic Glucagon Contents in Diabetic Rabbits

The Effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Weiwanxiashu (EX-B3) and Zusanli (ST 36) points on blood glucose (BG) and plasma pancreatic glucagon (PG) contents were dynamically observed in diabetic rabbits induced by Alloxan. It is found that acupuncture at Weiwanxiashu point can significantly lower the BG content and inhibit release of PG; no significant changes in BG and PG are found when acupuncture is given at Zusanli (ST 36) point alone, however BG and PG contents decrease more obviously when acupuncture employed at both Zusanli and Weiwanxiashu, suggesting that Zusanli has a marked synergetic action with Weiwanxiashu.

TREATMENT OF POSTAPOPLECTIC THALAMIC SPONTANEOUS PAIN BY ELECTROACUPUNCTURE AT HUATUOJIAJI POINTS

The authors have treated 30 cases of postapoplectic thalamic spontaneous pain (PTSP) by electro-acupuncture at Huatuojiaji points (Extra), with the other 30 cases of PTSP treated by oral administration of carbamazepine as the controls. The total effective rate was 90% in the acupuncture group, and 86.7% in the control group. The difference in the total effective rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05), suggesting that electroacupuncture at Huatuojiaji (Extra) is a better therapy for PTSP.

Thirty Cases of Acute Lumbar Sprain Treated by Acupuncture Combined with Point-Injection at Tianzhu

In recent years, the authors have treated 30 cases of acute lumbar sprain by acupuncture combined with point medicinal injection at Tianzhu (BL 10), and obtained quite good therapeutic results, as is reported in the following.

Activities of Liquid Crystals in Acupuncture Points

The theory of Meridians is an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Modern science should play its role in analysing and making clear the mystique of the theory. The relation between the activities of liquid crystals in acupuncture points and the regulative actions of Meridians was studied in this paper. The results showed the intimate intrinsic association between them.

THE THIRD LUMBAR TRANSVERSE PROCESS SYNDROME TREATED BY ELECTROACUPUNCTURE AT HUATUOJIAJI POINTS

32 cases of the third lumbar transverse process syndrome were treated mainly byelectroacupuncture at Huatuojiaji points of the first and second lumbar vertebrae, andanother 30 cases of the syndrome by conventional acupuncture as the controls. The resultsshowed that treatment by electroacupuncture at Huatuojiaji points was superior inanalgesic effect and clinical total effective rate to that by conventional acupuncture. It isconsidered that the mechanism of treatment by electroacupuncture at Huatuojiaji pointsis related to the trunk of posterior ramus of the spinal nerve where the points are located.

Forty-five Cases of Apoplexy Treated by Electroacupuncture at the Points of Yin Meridians

Forty-five cases of apoplexy were treated by electroacupuncture only at the points of Yin Meridians (i.e. the Hand- and Foot-Taiyin Meridians), and the other 30 cases as the controls were treated only at the points of Yang Meridians (i.e. the Hand- and Foot-Yangming Meridians). The total effective rate was 91.1% in the former and 86.7% in the latter, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups, indicating that acupuncture only at the points of Yin-Meridians is also an effective therapy for apoplexy.

Treatment of Infantile Morbid Night Crying by Acupuncture at Zhongchong Point in 100 Cases

Morbid night crying is often found in infants. Applying acupuncture at Zhongchong (PC 9) point, the author treated 100 infants with morbid night crying and achieved satisfactory therapeutic effects. The results are reported as follows.……

RECIPROCAL ACTIONS OF ACUPOINTS ON GASTROINTESTINAL PERISTALSIS DURING ELECTROACUPUNCTURE IN MICE

Orthogonal design was used to observe the gastrointestinal peristalsis in normal andatropine-treated mice after electroacupuncture was applied,singly or in combination,atNeiguan(P 6),Pishu(UB 20)and Zusanli(St 36).The results showed that:1)electroacupuncture has no significant effect on the gastrointestinal peristalsis in normalmice;2)Pishu(UB 20)was significantly antagonistic to Zusanli(St 36)in normal mice;3)the decreased gastrointestinal peristalsis in atropine-treated mice was markedly promotedby electroacupuncture at Zusanli(St 36);and 4)Neiguan(P 6)was significantlyantagonistic to Pishu(UB 20)in atropine-treated mice.The results indicated that thereciprocal actions among acupoints should be taken into consideration for pointprescription.

Twenty-eight Cases of Neuritis of Lateral Cutaneous Nerve of Thigh Treated by Acupuncture and Point-Injection

Neuritis of lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh, also called meralgia paresthetica, is a commonly encountered disease in clinical practice. The author has treated 28 cases of meralgia paresthetica since 1996 by acupuncture plus point-injection with satisfactory results. A report follows.Clinical Data Among the 28 cases, 13 were male and 15 female. Their age ranged from 24 to 72 years, most of the patients being 35 to 50 years; the duration of illness varied from one month to ten years and 6 cases were affected on left side, 8 cases on right side and 14 cases on both sides.

Treatment of Migraine with Acupuncture at Points Pertaining to the Liver and Gallbladder Channels

In studying the syndrome of yang-hyperactivity, we found that most migraine patients were with hyperactivity of the liver-yang, stagnation of the liver-qiand blood stasis, and stagnation of the liverqi and deficiency of the spleen. To evaluate the needling effects on migraine and to approach its mechanism, we have launched a study in 207 cases since 1997. The results were satisfactory and reported as follows.

The Influence of Age on Blood Flow and Temperature of Acupuncture Points: A Study based on Laser Doppler Flowmetry and Infrared Thermography

Background:To date,there has been a great lack of investigation on the influence of age on blood flow and temperature of acupoints in specific regions.Objective:This study aimed to determine the association between different age categories and acupoint blood flow/temperature on the forearm.Methods:Acupoint blood flow and temperature were measured in healthy adults of different age categories using laser doppler flowmetry(LDF)and infrared thermography(IRT),respectively.A total of 60 eligible healthy volunteers were divided into the young group,mid age group and old age group.All groups received LDF and IRT examination.Shenmen(HT7),Shaohai(HT3),Taiyuan(LU9)and Chize(LU5)of the Heart and Lung meridians on the forearm were selected as 4 test acupoints.Results:Regarding blood flow of the 4 test acupoints,the PU of Taiyuan(LU9)in the old age group was sig-nificantly different compared with that of the young age group(P<0.05)and the mid age group(P<0.05),while there was no significant difference in PU of the other acupoints between 3 groups(all P>0.05).Simi-larly,regarding acupoint temperature of the 4 test sites,the temperature of Shaohai(HT3)in the old age group was significantly different compared with that of the mid age group(P<0.05),while there was no significant difference in the temperature of the other 3 acupoints between 3 age groups(all P>0.05).Conclusion:Age category tends to have notable influence on the blood flow and temperature in specific acupoints in the forearm.Therefore,particular concerns should be taken into consideration regarding the effect of age differences for future studies in this field.Nevertheless,further studies with a large sample size and more test acupoints are needed to further verify current findings.

106 CASES OF NON-SUPPURATIVE COSTAL CHONDRITIS TREATED BY ACUPUNCTURE AT XUANZHONG POINT

Non-suppurative costal chondritis falls into the category of 'pain in the chest and between the ribs' or 'obstruction of qi in the chest' in traditional Chinese medicine, often affecting the second and third ribs, which is characterized by local pain and swelling but without redness. The pain is lingering with occasional megalgia. It occurs mostly in youngsters and the

EFFECTS OF ACUPUNCTURE AT FENGCHI POINT (GB 20) ON CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW

Blood velocity in the vertebral artery and the basilar artery was observed before and after acupuncture at Fengchi point (GB 20) in 97 patients by transcranial Doppler ultrasonic detecting. The results showed that the blood velocity in patients with either high or low blood flow had significant changes after acupuncture (P

Clinical research progress on acupuncture for the treatment of otogenic vertigo

Otogenic vertigo is a common disorder that affects the vestibular system,which often results in considerable discomfort and impaired daily functioning.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),including acupuncture and moxibustion,has been historically utilized to manage the symptoms of vertigo.However,the effectiveness and methodology of these treatments have rarely been investigated in the medical literature.This study reviews the existing literature on the point selection,method,and therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion to provide a reference for the TCM treatment of otogenic vertigo.A literature search was performed using the PubMed search engine.The terms used included otogenic vertigo,acupuncture treatment,and acupuncture point selection.A total of 34 relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed.These suggest that the clinical treatment of otogenic vertigo should consider the functions of zang-fu organs and meridians and select different acupuncture treatment methods according to syndrome differentiation based on the difference between deficiency and excess.Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy should be based on acupoint selection,considering the syndrome differentiation,supplemented with experience.The treatment of otogenic vertigo with acupuncture and moxibustion refers to the selection of appropriate acupuncture methods under the guidance of TCM theory and following the principles of syndrome,disease,and meridian differentiation.Common acupuncture methods include body acupuncture,auricular acupuncture,scalp acupuncture,acupoint injection,electroacupuncture,and moxibustion.There are many acupuncture and moxibustion acupoints selected for the treatment of otogenic vertigo.Individualized treatment according to the patient’s specific condition is effective and safe,which can help to improve the patient’s vertigo symptoms and cerebral blood perfusion.

EXPERIENCE IN THE POINT-SELECTION FOR ELECTRO-ACUPUNCTURE

Point selection along the course of meridians is the basic principle for acupuncture prescription and selection of points. In application, there are three categories of point selection: selection of local and adjacent points; selection of distant points, and selection of symptomatic points. Based on the