Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine Plantain and Senna Granule in treatment of functional constipation: a randomized, controlled trial

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Yin

2015

Chronic constipation, an ancient disease, is prevalent, and costly in the general population. Complementary and alternative therapies are frequently used for constipation. This review introduces various methods of complementary and alternative therapies, including acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, and herbal medicine. Efficacy, safety, influence factors, sham control design, and mechanisms of these therapies are discussed and evaluated. Acupuncture or electroacupuncture was found to be most commonly used for constipation among these complementary and alternative therapies, followed by herbal medicine. Although only a small number of clinical studies are flawless, our review of the literature seems to suggest that acupuncture or electroacupuncture and herbal medicine are effective in treating constipation, whereas findings on massage and moxibustion are inconclusive. More well-designed clinical trials are needed to improve and prove the efficacy of the complementary and alternative therapies for constipation; mechanistic studies that would lead to wide spread use and improvement of the methods are also discussed in this review.

Section: Acupuncturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Acupuncturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Chronic Constipation

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Yin

2015

“…Previous studies[2526272829303132333435] concerning the location of acupoints in acupuncture treatment for primary depression showed that the main points are located in Du meridian, pericardium meridian, spleen meridian, liver meridian and stomach meridian; the common points are Baihui (DU20) and Yintang (EX-HN3). First, Du meridian[36] is responsible for regulating consciousness disease and organ lesions. Baihui [25] belongs to Du meridian and regulates mentality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture/electroacupuncture enhances anti-depressant effect of Seroxat: the Symptom Checklist-90 scores

Chen

Lin²,

et al. 2014

Neural Regen Res

One hundred and five patients with primary unipolar depression were randomly divided into three groups: drug group (Seroxat administration), acupuncture group (Seroxat plus acupuncture), and electroacupuncture group (Seroxat plus acupuncture plus electroacupuncture). Patients’ symptoms were evaluated using a psychometric questionnaire, the Symptom Checklist-90, before intervention and after 2, 4, 6 and 10 weeks of treatment. The individual factor scores and the total score from the Symptom Checklist-90 reduced in all three groups as treatment progressed. In the acupuncture and electroacupuncture groups, the total score and the factor scores for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and anxiety were significantly lower than those in the drug group. There was no significant difference in the factor scores or total scores between the acupuncture and electroacupuncture groups. Some factor scores in the electroacupuncture group, such as somatization, depression, hostility, and phobic anxiety, were increased at 10 weeks compared with the respective score immediately after the course of electroacupuncture at 6 weeks. Our findings indicate that administration of Seroxat alone or in combination with acupuncture/electroacupuncture can produce a significant effect in patients with primary unipolar depression. Furthermore, acupuncture/electroacupuncture has a rapid onset of therapeutic effect and produces a noticeable improvement in obsessive-compulsive, depressive and anxiety symptoms.

“…They have also been shown to have analgesic effects in rats subjected to chronic visceral hypersensitivity [61, 62]. They regulate gastrointestinal function in human patients [63, 64]. In the present study, the intensity of infrared radiation of bilateral ST25 and the control points in UC rats were measured using a hypersensitivity PHE201 infrared spectrum analyzer [1, 22].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Moxibustion Stimulation on the Intensity of Infrared Radiation of Tianshu (ST25) Acupoints in Rats with Ulcerative Colitis

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Zhou

Yao

et al. 2012

ST25 is a key acupoint used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis by moxibustion stimulation, but the biophysical mechanism underlying its effects is still unknown. The aim of the present study was to explore the biophysical properties of ST25 acupoint stimulated by moxibustion in a rat model of ulcerative colitis. The infrared radiation intensity of fourteen wavelengths of ST25 showed significant differences between the normal and model control groups. The intensity of infrared radiation of forty wavelengths showed significant differences compared with the corresponding control points in normal rats. The intensity of infrared radiation of twenty-eight wavelengths showed significant differences compared with the corresponding control points in model rats. The intensity of infrared radiation of nine wavelengths in the herb-partition moxibustion group, eighteen wavelengths in the ginger-partition moxibustion group, seventeen wavelengths in the garlic-partition moxibustion group, and fourteen wavelengths in the warming moxibustion group of the left ST25 showed significant differences compared with that of the model control group. For the right-hand-side ST25, these values were 33, 33, 2, and 8 wavelengths, respectively. This indicated that one possible biophysical mechanism of moxibustion on ST25 in ulcerative colitis model rats might involve changes in the intensity of infrared radiation of ST25 at different wavelengths.