Observation on instant analgesic effect of Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture method for primary headache

Objective： To observe the instant analgesic effect of Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture method in treating primary headache and to inherit and carry forward the academic achievements of Gao＇s acupuncture school in Yanzhao （Hebei Province） area. Methods： Eighty eligible primary headache patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group following their visiting sequence, 40 patients in each group. The observation group was intervened by Yanzhao Gao＇s Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture, and the control group was intervened by ordinary acupuncture method. The visual analogue scale （VAS） was used to evaluate the headache intensity before and after the first treatment session in the two groups, to compare the instant analgesic effect of the two acupuncture methods. Results： After the first treatment session, the VAS scores dropped significantly in both groups （both P〈0.05）. The change of VAS score after the initial treatment in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group （P〈0.05）. The percentage of patients with headache completely vanished instantly after the first treatment was markedly higher in the observation group than that in the control group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： The two acupuncture methods both can produce a significant instant analgesic effect in treating primary headache, while Yanzhao Gao＇s Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture method is superior to ordinary acupuncture method.

Effect of row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping on cognitive function and quality of life in patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity

Objective：To observe the effect of row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping on cognitive function and quality of life （QOL） in patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity. Methods： A total of 448 eligible cases were randomly allocated into a treatment group and a control group, 244 in each group. Based on standard conventional treatment, cases in the treatment group received row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping, whereas cases in the control group took oral Western medication. After 3 weeks of treatment, the cognitive functions were assessed using comprehensive functional assessment （CFA） and mini-mental state examination （MMSE）. The O,OL was evaluated using the Chinese-version 36-item short-form health survey （SF-36）. Results： After treatment, the CFA and MMSE scores were significantly improved in both groups （P〈0.05）; and there were between-group statistical differences （P〈0.05）, showing a better effect in the treatment group than that in the control group. In addition, there were between-group statistical significances in scores of QOL （P〈0.05, P〈0.01）. Conclusion： Row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping can significantly improve the cognitive function and O, OL of patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity.