Traditional Chinese herbal products (CHPs) have been described in ancient medicine systems as treatments for various stroke-associated ailments. This study is aimed to investigate the prescription patterns and combinations of CHPs for ischemic stroke in Taiwan. Prescriptions of CHPs for ischemic stroke were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. Every prescription with a leading diagnosis of ischemic stroke made during 2000-2010 was analyzed. Descriptive statistics were applied to the pattern of co-prescriptions. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess demographic and risk factors that are correlated with CHP use. The dataset of inpatient claims data contained information on 15,896 subjects who experienced ischemic stroke from 2000 to 2010. There was an average of 5.82 CHPs in a single prescription for subjects with ischemic stroke. Bu-yang-huan-wu-tang (BYHWT) (40.32%) was by far the most frequently prescribed formula CHP for ischemic stroke, and the most commonly used combination of two-formula-CHP was BYHWT with Shu-jin-huo-xue-tang (SJHXT) (4.40%). Dan Shen (16.50%) was the most commonly used single CHP for ischemic stroke, and the most commonly used combination of two single CHPs was Shi Chang Pua with Yuan Zhi (4.79%). We found that BYHWT and Dan Shen were the most frequently prescribed formula and single CHP for ischemic stroke, respectively. These results provide information about individualized therapy and may contribute to further pharmacologic experiments and clinical trials.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects of laser acupuncture therapy for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) after ineffective previous treatments.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted in 29 treatment-resistant TMD patients (25 women, 4 men; age range, 17–67 years). Subjects were treated 3 times per week for 4 weeks with the Handylaser Trion (GaAlAs laser diode, 810 nm, 150 mW, pulsed waves), which delivered 0.375 J of energy (5 s) to ST7, ST6, and LI4 and 3 J (40 s) to each Ashi point, 7.5–26.25 J/cm2 in total. The visual analog scale (VAS) and maximal mouth opening (MMO) were evaluated before and after treatment.ResultsVAS analysis showed that the patients were free of pain at rest (endpoint) after 5.90±6.08 sessions of laser acupuncture for acute TMD and after 16.21±17.98 sessions for chronic TMD. The VAS score on palpation of the temporomandibular joint reduced to 0.30±0.67 for patients with acute TMD (p = 0.005) and to 0.47±0.84 for those with chronic TMD (p<0.001). The MMO significantly increased in patients with acute TMD (7.80±5.43 mm, p = 0.008) and in patients with chronic TMD (15.58±7.87 mm, p<0.001).ConclusionsOur study shows that laser acupuncture therapy improves the symptoms of treatment-resistant TMD. Further studies with a more appropriate design, involving long-term follow-up examinations in a larger patient sample, are needed to evaluate its efficacy.

Background:Gestational weight gain and weight retention at 1 year after delivery are associated with long-term obesity. We aimed to investigate the effect of laser acupuncture therapy on postpartum weight control.Methods:We randomly assigned 66 subjects with postpartum weight retention to a laser acupuncture group and control group. The subjects were treated at acupoints including the stomach and hunger points of the ear, ST25, ST28, ST40, SP15, CV9, and SP6 by using verum or sham laser acupuncture over 5 sessions per week. After 12 treatment sessions, the differences in the body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), and waist-to-buttocks ratio (WBR) of the patients were analyzed and compared between the laser acupuncture and control groups via analysis of variance, chi-square tests, and stepwise regression tests.Results:The characteristics of the patients did not significantly differ between the laser acupuncture and control groups. Analysis of repeated measures data between the laser acupuncture and control groups indicated the presence of significant differences in postpartum BMI (P < 0.001) and BFP (P < 0.001); however, no significant difference was observed for WBR (P = 0.09).Conclusion:Laser acupuncture reduces postpartum weight retention by improving BMI and BFP, but does not impact the WBR following short-term treatment.

BackgroundTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the most commonly used alternative therapy in children with asthma, especially in the Chinese community. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the government-sponsored Outpatient’s Healthcare Quality Improvement (OHQI) project with integrated TCM treatment on childhood asthma.MethodsThis study used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, which is a part of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Children with diagnosed asthma and aged under 15 years from 2006–2010 were enrolled. They were collated into 3 groups: (1) subjects treated with non-TCM; (2) subjects treated with single TCM; and (3) subjects treated with integrative OHQI TCM. The medical visits and the cost of treatment paid by the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) to the outpatient, emergency room, and inpatient departments were evaluated for the study subjects within 1 year of the first asthma diagnosis during the study period.ResultsFifteen multi-hospitals, including 7 medical centers, and 35 TCM physicians participated in OHQI during the study period. A total of 12850 children from the NHIRD database were enrolled in this study, and divided as follows: 12435 children in non-TCM group, 406 children in single TCM group, and 9 children in integrative OHQI TCM group. Although the total medical cost paid by the BNHI per patient in the integrative OHQI TCM group was greater than that in the non-OHQI groups, the patients in the integrative OHQI TCM group exhibited greater therapeutic effects, and did not require ER visits or hospitalization. In addition, ER visits and hospitalization among patients who received a combination of conventional therapy with integrated TCM were lower than those among patients who underwent conventional therapy alone or single TCM treatment.ConclusionsAsthmatic children at partly controlled level under conventional therapy may benefit from adjuvant treatment with integrated TCM.

We believe that an experienced physician may use acupuncture as complementary therapy in patients with TBI who fail to regain consciousness postoperatively.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of laser acupuncture (LA) therapy in patients with dry eye disease (DED). Design: A two-center randomized controlled trial. Settings/Location: The Department of Ophthalmology, Chinese Medicine at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and the Sunming Eye Clinic in South Taiwan. Subjects: Fifty-nine participants ages 20 to 65 years were enrolled and randomly assigned to the experimental group (LA plus conventional treatment) or the sham control group (LA without laser output plus conventional treatment). Interventions: Subjects underwent LA treatment three times a week for 12 weeks. The subjects in the experimental group sequentially received 0.375 J of energy at each of the following acupoints: BL2, TE23, ST2, LI4, ST36, and GB37. Subjects in the control group received a sham LA treatment, without any laser output. Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was ocular surface disease index (OSDI). The secondary outcome measures included tear film breakup time (TFBUT), Schirmer-I test finding, and visual analog scale (VAS) score. Results: At 4 and 12 weeks after the first visit, the experimental group showed significant improvement of dry eye symptoms as measured by OSDI, TFBUT, Shirmer-I test, and VAS. Compared with the control group, the OSDI (7.23, p = 0.001) and TFBUT (−1.78, p = 0.001) significantly improved in the experimental group at 12 weeks of treatment. Conclusions: LA improved the symptoms and tear stability related to DED in conjunction with conventional treatment. The authors suggest that LA be considered a complementary therapy for DED when conventional treatment does not provide satisfactory effects. Trial Registration: Identifier NCT03204903.

The purpose of this case-control study was to investigate the relationship between the electrical resistance of the skin at biologically active points (BAPs) on the main meridians and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Electrical resistance to direct current at 20 BAPs on the fingers and toes of 100 patients with (38 men, 12 women; mean age [range], 58.20 ± 19.62 [18-83] years) and without (27 men, 23 women; 49.54 ± 12.12 [22-74] years) UGIB was measured through electrodermal screening (EDS), based on the theory of electroacupuncture according to Voll (EAV). Data were compared through analysis of variance (ANOVA), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and logistic regression. The initial readings were lower in the UGIB group, indicating blood and energy deficiency due to UGIB. Significant differences in indicator drop values were observed at nine BAPs (p < 0.05) on the bilateral small intestine, bilateral stomach, bilateral circulation, bilateral fibroid degeneration, and right lymph meridians. The area under the ROC curve values of the BAPs on the bilateral small intestine and stomach meridians were larger than 0.5, suggesting the diagnostic accuracy of EDS for UGIB on the basis of the indicator drop of these BAPs. Logistic regression revealed that when the indicator drop of the BAP on the left stomach meridian increased by one score, the risk of UGIB increased by about 1.545-3.523 times. In conclusion, the change in the electrical resistance of the skin measured by EDS at the BAPs on the bilateral small intestine and stomach meridians provides specific information on UGIB.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of stimulation at the Jing-Well points of meridians in advanced clinical practice. Methods: Articles including English or Chinese keywords on the Jing-Well points of meridians published between 2001 and August 2012 were sourced from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. On the basis of these reports, we explored the modern applications, mechanisms, and efficacy of the Jing-Well points. Results: Thirty-five related studies, published mainly in Chinese, were identified. Evidence was found to support the use of Jing-Well point stimulation in the treatment of stroke, persistent vegetative status, severe head injury, vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, upper respiratory infection, bronchial asthma, hysterical aphonia, postpartum lactation insufficiency, fetal malpresentation, dysmenorrhea, acne, sudden deafness, sleeping disorders, and post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting. Conclusion: Diseases associated with the 12 meridians and meridional dermomeres (十二皮部) can be treated by stimulating the related Jing-Well points. Stimulation of all the Jing-Well points can activate and restore function in the damaged brain. Rigorous high-quality trials are needed to improve the level of evidence on their effectiveness and safety.