Using a consensus acupoints regimen to explore the relationship between acupuncture sensation and lumbar spinal postoperative analgesia: A retrospective analysis of prospective clinical cooperation

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on postoperative pain in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease, and explored the relationship between the postoperative analgesic effect of acupuncture and the sensation of acupuncture experienced by the patients.Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 97 patients who had undergone an operation by the same surgeon due to degenerative lumbar disease. These patients were divided into acupuncture group(n = 32), patient-controlled analgesia(PCA) group(n = 27), and oral analgesia group(n = 38) according to the different postoperative analgesic methods. During their hospitalization, patients completed daily evaluations of their pain using a visual analogue scale(VAS), and injection times of supplemental meperidine were recorded. Also, the Chinese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale(C-MASS) was used in the acupuncture group.Results: Each of the three treatment groups showed significant reductions in postoperative pain, as shown by reduced VAS scores. The acupuncture group, however, had less rebound pain(P < 0.05) than the other two groups. Both the acupuncture and PCA groups experienced acute analgesic effects that were superior to those in the oral analgesia group. In addition, the higher the C-MASS index on the second day after surgery, the lower the VAS score on the fourth day after surgery. There was also a significant difference in the“dull pain” in the acupuncture sensation.Conclusion: The results demonstrated that acupuncture was beneficial for postoperative pain and discomfort after simple surgery for degenerative spinal disease. It is worth noting that there was a disproportionate relevance between the patient’s acupuncture sensation and the improvement of pain VAS score.

Effect of lit-moxa stimulation of Guanyuan(CV 4) acupoint on levels of lactic acid and super-oxide dismutase in skeletal muscle of rats

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of lit-moxa stimulating acupoint Guanyuan(CV 4) on lactic acid and super-oxide dismutase(SOD) in skeletal muscle after exercise exhaustion.METHODS:Twenty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group,exhausted control group,exercise group and moxibustion group using exercise training and mild heating with lit-moxa stick as treatment methods.The exhausted control group,moxibustion group and exercise group received an exhaustive swimming after 20 days of intervention.Swimming exhausted times were recorded.Lactic acid and SOD concentration in soleus muscle were detected and compared between every two groups.RESULTS:The swimming exhausted times of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly increased compare to the exhausted control group(P < 0.05).The lactic acid of the exhausted control group was significantly increased comparing with the normal control group(P <0.05),and the lactic acid of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly lower than that of the exhausted control group(P < 0.05).The SOD level of the exhausted control group was significantly decreased comparing with the normal control group(P < 0.05),and the SOD level of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly higher than that of the exhausted control group(both,P < 0.05).There was no statistical difference between the moxibustion group and the exercise group.CONCLUSION:With lit moxa stick,heat stimulating acupoint of Guanyuan(CV 4) decreased the levels of lactic acid and SOD in rat's skeletal muscle.

Extraction of items identifying hiesho(cold disorder)and their utility in young males and females

OBJECTIVE:Hie(cold sensation)is one of the most common health complaints in Japan.Those who suffer from severe hie are considered as having hiesho(cold disorder).However,exact hiesho symptoms have not been defi ned clearly and the decision as to whether a person suffers from hiesho is subjective and based on self-awareness.The study was conducted in attempt to develop a standardized hiesho diagnostic scale.METHODS:Subjects comprised 1 146 students.From the self-awareness of hiesho symptoms,males and females were divided into hiesho and non-hiesho groups.Physical,behavioral and adaptive characteristics were compared using the 24-item questionnaire(four-grade survey)and indicators for hiesho symptoms were extracted.Based on the scores,a receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn for the total ordinal scale score of the extracted items in relation to the presence and absence of hiesho symptoms,and an optimal cutoff value was determined.RESULTS:The self-awareness of having hiesho was found in 23.2% males and in 55.6% females.The sensitivity was 84.5% for males and 83.3% for females in the hiesho groups,and the specifi city was 86.0% for males and 85.2% for females in the non-hiesho groups.CONCLUSION:A questionnaire consisting of the extracted items may be useful to identify hiesho in young males and females with a high level of accuracy.

Determination of symptoms associated with hiesho among young females using hie rating surveys

Objective: Hie(cold sensation) is one of the most well-known health complaints in Japan and elsewhere in East Asia. Those who suffer from severe hie are considered to have hiesho(cold disorder). This study was conducted to determine symptoms associated with hie in young females using a survey consisting of the hie scale and hie diary.Methods: Two hundred and seventy-one participants were included for the analysis. Survey forms were distributed to the participants. Diagnosis of hiesho was determined by using the hie scale. A discriminant score of over -0.38 was considered hiesho. The Short Form-8 Health Survey Standard Version(SF-8) was used to measure health-related quality of life(QOL). The participants were also asked to respond to the questionnaire evaluating 14 physical and emotional symptoms, utilizing a six-level Likert scale item.Results: The 1 st factor(hie factor) was correlated with hie(r = 0.546), dry mouth(r = 0.332), lowerextremity edema(r = 0.450), headrushes(r = 0.470), shoulder stiffness(r = 0.311), headrushes with chills(r = 0.726), and fatigue(r = 0.359). Cronbach's a of the 1 st factor was 0.748, which indicated reliability between the items. When hie factor was the dependent variable, standardized partial regression coefficient was b = -0.387 for physical component score(P < 0.001) and b = -0.243 for mental component score(P < 0.001).Conclusion: This study indicated that hiesho symptoms among young female adults were associated with bodily pain and general health perceptions of the SF-8 QOL survey.