Efficacy of blood-letting puncture and cupping in the treatment of periarthritis of shoulder:a systematic review

Objective:To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of blood-letting puncture and cupping in the treatment of periarthritis of shoulder.Methods:We electronically searched databases including CNKI,VIP,PubMed,WanFang Data,EMbase Cochrane Library and to collect randomized controlled trials(RCTs)and quasi-randomized controlled trials about blood-letting puncture and cupping for periarthritis of shoulder and evaluated the quality of the documents collected by the Cochrane collaboration,provided by Review Manager 5 software for statistical analysis.Then the quality of the included trials was assessed using the Jadad scale and GRADE system was used to score the quality and grade recommendation.Results:Thirty RCTs involving 2556 patients were included.The results of meta-analysis showed that:Total effective rate OR=6.21[OR=6.21,95%CI(4.69,8.21),P<0.001].The results of GRADE system evaluation showed that the level of evidence was B,and the recommendation level was weak recommendation.Conclusion:Blood-letting puncture and cupping shows better effects than other treatments and preferably security in the treatment of periarthritis of shoulder.We do not find any serious adverse reaction reports.Due to limited quality of the included studies,more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.

Blood-letting puncture and cupping at Dong's unique extra points for 65 cases of neck type of cervical spondylosis

Objective To observe the clinical effect of blood-letting puncture and cupping at Chōngxiāo（冲霄 Extra） point of Dong＇s unique Extra-ordinary points in the treatment of neck type of cervical spondylosis.Methods Sixty-five patients of neck type of cervical spondylosis were selected and treated with blood-letting puncture and cupping at Chōngxiāo（冲霄 Extra） point once every two or three days,three times constituted one course and two successive courses were given,then the clinical effect was evaluated.Results The curative rate was 69.2%（45/65）,and the total effective rate was 92.3%（60/65）.Conclusion Blood-letting puncture and cupping at Dong＇s Chōngxiāo（冲霄 Extra） point can be used to treat neck type of cervical spondylosis with simple manipulation and obvious efficacy.

Observation on clinical effect of electroacupuncture plus pricking-cupping bloodletting therapy for herpes zoster

Objective：To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture （EA） plus pricking-cupping bloodletting therapy for herpes zoster. 〈br〉 Methods：A total of 43 patients with herpes zoster were randomly divided into two groups, 23 cases in the treatment group and 20 cases in the control group. The treatment group was given EA plus pricking-cupping bloodletting therapy. The control group was given oral administration of Aciclovir Tablets, Diclofenac Sodium Dual Release Enteric-coated Capsules, Methylcobalamin Dispersible Tablets, and V itamin B12. 〈br〉 Results： The total effective rate was 87.0% in the treatment group and 70.0% in the control group, with a statistical significance in difference of the total effective rate between the two groups （P〈0.01）. 〈br〉 Conclusion：The clinical effect is better in the treatment of herpes zoster by EA plus pricking-cupping bloodletting therapy than by medications.

Effect of kinetic needling combined with blood-letting puncturing and cupping on functions of upper limbs of patients with shoulder-hand syndrome after apoplexy

Objective To observe influence of kinetic needling on functional restoration of upper limbs of patients with apoplexy-induced shoulder-hand syndrome. Methods Ninety patients were randomly divided into an observation group （45 cases） and a control group （45 cases）. Basic treatments selected according to corresponding stroke units were applied to both groups. Besides, scalp acupuncture at Dingnie Qianxiexian （MS 6, 顶颞前斜线）, Dingnie Houxiexian （MS 6, 顶颞前斜线） and Dingzhongxian （NS 5, 顶中线）, was applied in the treatment group. In the observation group, active and passive movement was carried out during the process of scalp acupuncture, and then needling plus bloodletting puncturing and cupping was applied. In the control group, only needling plus blood-letting puncturing and cupping was given. Therapeutic effects, pain scoring obtained by visual analogue scales （VAS）, FugI-Meyer and FugI-Meyer＇s scoring reflecting moving functions of upper limbs were made after 4 courses of treatments in both groups. Results The total effective rate was 95.5% and 91.1% in the observation group and control group, respectively, showing superiority of the former to the latter （P〈0.05）. After treatment, VAS scores were all obviously reduced in both groups （P〈0.01）, and the reduction in the former was significantly more than that in the latter （P〈0.01）. Moving functions of upper limbs shown by Fugl-Meyer＇s scoring were improved after 2 courses of treatment in both groups （P〈0.01）. The improvement was more obvious after 4 courses of treatment than that after 2 courses of treatment in both groups （P〈0.05）. After 4 courses of treatment, moving functions shown by FugI-Meyer＇s scoring were more remarkably improved in the observation group than those in the control group（t=3.9, P〈0.01）. Conclusion Both kinetic needling combined with needling plus blood-letting puncturing and cupping and simple needling plus blood-letting puncturing and cupping are effective in treating shoulder-hand syndrome after apoplexy, and the former is better than the latter.

Clinical application and research progress of cupping therapy

Objective：This article collected,organized,and summarized the medical literatures of cupping therapy from three major Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI）,Chongqing VIP（VIP）,and Wan Fang,with cupping,moving cupping,flash cupping,pricking cupping,or medicinal cupping as the retrieve title or key words,and the retrieve range was from 1953 to July 15,2015.This article was to give an overall review of cupping therapy from the clinical application and mechanism research based on its application form,indications,and mechanism research progress.The results showed that there are various types of cupping methods;its indications cover multiple subjects such as internal medicine,external medicine,gynecology and pediatrics;and its major action mechanisms include negative pressure suction,increasing pain threshold,promoting dermal blood flow and improving body immunity.

Therapeutic efficacy observation on bloodletting and cupping for cervical radiculopathy

Objective： To observe the efficacy and safety of bloodletting and cupping for cervical radiculopathy. Methods： The randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in five centers. A total of 183 eligible subjects were randomly allocated into a bloodletting group （n=68）, an acupuncture group （n=56） and a combined group （n=59）. Patients in the bloodletting group were treated with bloodletting at Dazhui （GV 14） and Jianjing （GB 21） on the affected side, coupled with 5-10 min of cupping, 5 mL blood for each cup, 2-3 cups for one treatment. Patients in the acupuncture group were treated with needling cervical Jiaji （EX-B 2） points and Jianjing （GB 21） on the affected side. The needles were retained for 30 min. Patients in the combined group were treated with both methods. The treatment in all three groups were done once every three days, twice a week, 4 weeks for a course of treatment, for a total of 1-3 courses. Then the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated using scores of visual analogue scale （VAS）, neck disability index （NDL） and clinical assessment scale （CAS） before treatment and after 1, 2 and 3 courses of treatment. Results： The scores of VAS, NDI and CAS in all three groups were significantly decreased after 1, 2 and 3 courses of treatment （all P〈0.001）, and there were no inter-group statistical significances in comparing scores of VAS, NDI and CAS （all P〉0.05）. Conclusion： Bloodletting and cupping share the similar effect with acupuncture in pain relief and improvement of quality of life in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

Clinical efficacy of acupuncture in treatment ofchronic urticaria and its effects on the content of IgE and the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cell function

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of chronic urticaria and the change in the content of serum immunoglobulin E(IgE),and to discuss the effect of acupuncture on the imbalance of T helper(Th)1/Th2 cell function via observing the changes in the contents of interferon-y(IFN-y)and interleukin-4(IL-4).Methods:Ninety patients meeting the inclusion criteria of chronic urticaria were randomized into an acupuncture-medication group,an acupuncture group and a Western medication group by the random number table method.The acupuncture-medication group was intervened by acupuncture,cupping,collateral-pricking bloodletting and oral administration of cetirizine hydrochloride tablets;the acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture,cupping and collateral-pricking bloodletting;the Western medication group only received oral administration of cetirizine hydrochloride tablets.Before treatment and after 6-week treatment,the changes in the symptom scores and the contents of serum IgE,IFN-γ and IL-4 in the three groups were observed.Results:There were no significant differences in the total effective rate among the three groups(all P>0.05),but the cured and markedly effective rate was significantly higher in the acupuncture-medication group than that in the Western medication group(P<0.05).After treatment,the total symptom score decreased in the three groups(P<0.05),and the improvement of total symptom score in the acupuncture-medication group was more significant than that in the Western medication group(P<0.05).The component symptom scores all decreased after treatment in the three groups(all P<0.05);the improvements of the scores of itch intensity,and skin lesion size and number were more significant in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Western medication group(all P<0.05);the improvement of the skin lesion size score was more significant in the acupuncture group than in the Western medication group(P<0.01).The contents of IgE and IL-4 dropped(all P<0.05)and the content of IFN-y increased(P<0.05)after treatment in the three groups;the post-treatment changes in the serum contents of IgE and IFN-y were more significant in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Western medication group(both P<0.05).The incidence rate of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the acupuncture-medication group and acupuncture group than in the Western medication group(both P<0.05),and the relapse rate was significantly lower in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Western medication group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Combined acupuncture and medication can enhance the cured and markedly effective rate in treating chronic urticaria.Acupuncture is equivalent to cetirizine hydrochloride tablets comparing the clinical efficacy in treatment of chronic urticaria.Acupuncture plus medication and acupuncture alone both can effectively mitigate the clinical symptoms,with low incidence of adverse reactions.The relapse rate is low when using acupuncture together with medication.Acupuncture plus medication can work better in regulating the contents of IgE and IFN-y and improving the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cell function.

Acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy for insomnia in blood stasis constitution:a clinical study

Objective： To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy in treating insomnia in people with blood stasis constitution. Methods： Seventy-two patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group by using the random number table, 36 cases each. The treatment group received acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy, while the control group was intervened by oral administration of estazolam. One-week treatment was taken as a course, for 3 successive courses in total. A follow-up study was conducted 3 months later. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） was evaluated before and after the intervention, as well as in the follow-up. The clinical efficacies were also compared. Results： The total effective rate was 88.9% in the treatment group versus 83.3% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant （P〈0.O5）. After the intervention, the PSO.I scores dropped significantly in both groups （both P〈0.05）; the between-group difference in PSQI score was statistically significant （P〈O.05）. The follow-up study showed that the between-group difference in the global score of PSO, I was statistically significant （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy can produce a more significant efficacy than oral administration of estazolam in treating insomnia in people with blood stasis constitution.

Clinical observation on collateral-pricking and cupping therapy plus moxibustion for localized neurodermatitis

Objective： To observe the clinical effects of collateral-pricking and cupping therapy plus moxibustion for localized neurodermatitis. Methods： A total of 94 cases with localized neurodermatitis were randomly divided into two groups by their visit order, 47 cases in each group. The cases in the treatment group were treated by bleeding method with a plum blossom needle, cupping method and moxibustion. The cases in the control group were treated by subcutaneous injection of Triamcinolone Acetonide Acetate Injection. Results： After treatment, the curative rate and total effective rate were respectively 80.9% and 100% in the treatment group and were 48.9% and 87.2% in the control group. The differences in the curative rate and total effective rate between the two groups were statistically significant （P〈0.01, P〈0.05）. Conclusion; Bleeding method by a plum blossom needle, in combination with cupping method and moxibustion, is an effective therapy for localized neurodermatitis.