Objectives. To determine the difference in efficacy between distal and proximal acupoints in treating knee osteoarthritis. Design. Ninety-two eligible participants were randomly assigned into three groups: distal acupoint treatment group (DG), proximal acupoint treatment group (PG), and sham acupuncture control group (SG). Primary and secondary outcomes were compared before and after the intervention. Interventions. A single acupuncture treatment was applied at Quchi (LI11), Shaohai (HT3), and Tianjing (TE10) in DG participants; Yanglingquan (GB34), Yinlingquan (SP9), and Heding (EX-LE2) in PG participants; and Zhongwan (CV12) and Liangmen (ST21) in SG participants. Main outcome measures. The visual analog scale (VAS) and active and passive knee range of motion (ROM) were used primarily to evaluate the treatment efficacy. The radial pulse diagnosis was used as a secondary outcome measure to determine the changes in the spectral energy of the radial pulses. Results. The three groups had significant pain reduction after acupuncture ( p < 0.05 ). DG had the greatest difference in pre- and post-VAS scores. Compared with the control group, significant improvement was observed in DG active and passive ROM and in PG passive ROM ( p < 0.05 ). The high-frequency spectral energy of the left chi pulse in PG was significantly decreased, while the low-frequency spectral energy of the left cun pulse in PG and the left guan pulse in DG were significantly increased after acupuncture. Conclusions. Distal acupoints provide better pain relief and improve ROM than proximal acupoints in treating knee osteoarthritis. Significant changes in spectral energy were observed in the left cun, guan, and chi pulses, indicating pain relief and blood flow improvement after acupuncture.
Introduction The characteristics of radial pressure pulse waves (RPPW) provide an essential diagnostic technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The purpose of this research is to develop a study protocol that integrates the concept of TCM and traditional acupuncture treatment with modern scientific tools utilizing a quasi-experimental design. We will investigate the effects of acupuncture on the RPPW in study participants with low back pain (LBP) using modern tools, including the pulse sphygmograph, the fingertip-to-floor test, the Faces Pain Scale-Revised, the Oswestry Disability Index, the Health Status Questionnaire, and the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire. Methods We will attempt to recruit 80 eligible subjects with LBP based on our predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Acupuncture intervention will be performed bilaterally on Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25) and Weizhong (BL40) for 20 min. Objective and subjective baseline assessments and outcome evaluations will be performed at a specific time before and after the intervention. This paper describes the methods of our original research approved by the China Medical University Hospital's Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment is in progress and data collection will continue until March 2019. Conclusions To our knowledge, this preliminary study is the first attempt to investigate the effects of acupuncture on the RPPW in LBP subjects using a pulse sphygmograph and other modern tools. The findings will also investigate the effectiveness of the selected acupuncture point combinations for LBP. We hope this preliminary study will provide a basic foundation for a large-scale research study that involves randomisation in the future.
Acupuncture is a core discipline in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been practised in China for centuries. In traditional acupuncture, pulse palpation is an important clinical diagnostic technique that guides practitioners in their treatment strategies as they evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. This paper provides the findings of our investigation of acupuncture's effect on specific radial pulse spectral energies in 41 individuals with lower back pain (LBP), in response to a single acupuncture treatment delivered bilaterally at acupoints BL23, BL25, and BL40. Baseline assessments (vital signs and radial pulse diagnoses), primary outcome measures (radial pulse diagnoses), and secondary outcome measures (the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) and fingertip-to-floor (FTF) tests) were performed at specified intervals before and after the intervention. Our study provides novel information about the effects of acupuncture on the radial pulse spectral energy in individuals with different types of LBP. Our findings suggest that the right Chi pulse is an effective indicator to assess the effects of acupuncture in individuals with fixed, distended, or sharp pain, whereas the left Guan pulse is a potentially useful diagnostic technique to determine acupuncture's effects in individuals with dull, aching pain. The acupoints BL23, BL25, and BL40 provide effective treatment for LBP. Study participants with dull, aching pain had a significant improvement in their lumbar ranges of motion, and their pain rating scores were markedly decreased after acupuncture treatment.
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