Safety of Thread Embedding Acupuncture Therapy:A Systematic Review

Objective To evaluate the safety of thread embedding acupuncture therapy(TEAT)and discuss the prevention and treatment of some adverse events(AEs).Methods Review of databases,including China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),CBMdisc,Wanfang,VIP databases and English literature published in PubMed,MEDLINE,EMBASE and Web of Science,were searched from their inception to January 2020,randomized controlled trials(RCTs)and case reports in which AEs with TEAT were included.Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and RevMan V.5.3.3 software were used to evaluate the quality of the studies.Results A total of 61 studies(45 RCTs and 16 case reports)with 620 cases of AEs were included in this review.These studies were published in two countries:China and South Korea.Twenty eight kinds of AEs were summarized.The most common AEs were induration,bleeding and ecchymosis,redness and swelling,fever,and pain.They were accounted for 75.35%(425/564)in the review,and most of them were mild.The rarest AEs were epilepsy,irregular menstruation,skin ulcer,thread malabsorption,and fat liquefaction,with 1 case each.But not all of them had clear causal relationship with TEAT.Most of the AEs were local reactions[with incidence of 9.83%(480/4,882)]and systemic reactions accounted for only 1.27%(62/4,882).Although the included studies showed that AEs were very commonly encountered(11.09%),only 5 cases of severe AEs reported from 2013 to 2017(0.1%)by using catgut thread,which are rarely seen nowdays with the wide use of new absorbable surgical suture.All of the severe AEs were recovered after symptomatic treatment with no sequelae.Conclusions The evidence showed that TEAT is a relatively safe and convenient therapy especially since application of new absorbable surgical suture.Improving practitioner skills,regulating operations,and paying attention to the patients’conditions may reduce the incidence of AEs and improve safety of TEAT.

Clinical Study on Thread-embedding Therapy for Insomnia Due to Heart-spleen Deficiency

Objective： To observe the clinical effect of thread-embedding therapy in treating insomnia due to heart-spleen deficiency. Methods： Sixty patients were randomized into an acupuncture group and a thread-embedding group, 30 in each. The acupuncture group was managed by acupuncture therapy, and the thread-embedding group was treated by thread-embedding therapy. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） was adopted for evaluation before and after treatments. Results： The total effective rate was 86.7% in the acupuncture group versus 96.7% in the thread-embedding group. After treatment, the PSQI scores were significantly different from those before treatment in both groups （P〈0.01）; the scores in both two groups were mai＇kedly different from each other after treatment （P〈0.01）. Conclusion： Both acupuncture and thread-embedding therapies can effectively improve sleep quality of the patients, while thread-embedding therapy is comparatively less time-consuming, more convenient and with longer stimulation.

Screening of acupuncture treatment for simple obesity

Objective:Observe the advantages and characteristics of Acupuncture therapy and Point Thread Embedding therapy in the treatment of simple obesity and to select the superior treatment schemes.Methods:on the basis of syndrome differentiation,acupuncture and Point Thread Embedding therapy were adopted respectively for 3 courses of treatment.Observe the changes of body weight and abdomen/waist/hip circumference in different stages of treatment and evaluate the curative effect.Results:Both acupuncture and Point Thread Embedding could lessen the weight and the abdomen/waist/hip circumference of simple obesity.Acupuncture and Point Thread Embedding can not only reduce body weight,but also improve clinical symptoms of simple obesity.The effect rate of clinical symptoms is better than that of weight(P<0.05);The efficiency of Point Thread Embedding group is better than that of Acupuncture group(P<0.05).There was no significant weight loss from the second course of treatment especially in acupuncture group(P>0.05).Conclusion:Acupuncture and Point Thread Embedding in the treatment of simple obesity focus more on the adjustment of body shape and constitution of obese patients;Compare with acupuncture treatment,point thread embedding group had a slower onset time and a longer duration of curative effect while acupuncture group had a faster onset time but a shorter duration.When the body weight is reduced to 5kg,the plateau stage occurs.Point Thread Embedding therapy is easier to be popularized and applied in clinic Because of its convenient and stable therapeutic effect.

Micro-invasive Thread-embedding Therapy in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by arthrosynovitis.The recurrent attacks of synovitis may lead to destruction of articular cartilages and bones,and dysfunction of joints.The symptoms are often symmetrical,affecting the small joints such as the interphalangeal joints,wrists,and the metatarsophalangeal joints.The large joints including elbow,shoulder,ankle,and knee may also be involved in severe cases.

Micro-invasive Thread-embedding Therapy in Treating Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea refers to periodic lower abdominal pain occurring during or around menstruation. It often happens before or during period, occasionally after period, and manifests lower abdominal pain, crampy or distending, which may radiate to lumbosacral region, inner thigh and perianal region. Co-occurring symptoms may include pale complexion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and aversion to cold in the whole body or concentrated in lower abdomen. Severe pain can cause prostration or even fainting. Menstrual pain commonly lasts for several hours or 1-2 d, and relieves when menstrual blood flows smoothly.

Introduction to Micro-invasive Thread-embedding Therapy

Instead of filiform needles, micro-invasive thread-embedding therapy treats diseases by burying biomaterials into acupoints to produce a long-time stimulation. It not only achieves a long- term acupoint stimulation, but also reduces the visiting frequencies and pain of patients^[1]. The method of micro-invasive thread-embedding therapy is now introduced as follows.