Ipsi- and Contralateral Moxibustion Generate Similar Analgesic Effect on Inflammatory Pain

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether contralateral moxibustion would generate a similar analgesic effect with ipsilateral moxibustion. Contra- and ipsilateral moxibustion were separately applied to Zusanli (ST36) acupoints of inflammatory pain mice. The analgesic effect was evaluated, respectively, by licking/biting time (LBT) of formalin-induced inflammatory pain and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of complete Freund’s adjuvant- (CFA-) induced inflammatory pain. For formalin-induced pain, compared with formalin group, the total LBT of ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion reduced in both phase I and phase II, but there was no significant difference between ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion. For CFA-induced inflammatory pain, compared with CFA group, TWL of ipsi- and contra-Moxi groups increased immediately after moxibustion intervention; however there was no obvious difference between ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion at any timepoint. It indicated that contralateral moxibustion had a similar analgesic effect with ipsilateral moxibustion in both formalin- and CFA-induced pain. These results suggest that both ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion could be applied for pain relief.

Opposing and Operated Side Electroacupuncture Generates Similar Analgesic Effects on Pain after Knee Surgery

“…Through the measurement of the above three pain behaviors, it was verified that the KSM is also suitable for the study of acupuncture analgesia. The analgesic effect of the opposing needling method is equivalent to the analgesic effect of acupuncture on the operated side, which is similar to the results in many other research researches [ 19 , 30 ].…”

“…However, there are various acupuncture methods of treating pain diseases clinically, such as electroacupuncture (EA) [ 14 ], transcutaneous electrical acupuncture stimulation [ 15 ], auricular acupuncture [ 16 ], heat-sensitive moxibustion [ 17 ], and acupoint catgut embedding [ 18 ]. Opposing needling is used to treat pain in traditional Chinese medicine [ 19 , 20 ]. For unilateral TKA, the opposing needling method is more valuable in avoiding the risk of infection of acupuncture at the operated and adjacent area and increasing the patients' acceptance of acupuncture based on the overall characteristics of qi and blood flow in the whole body [ 21 ].…”

The Combinatorial Effect of Cisplatin and Moxibustion on Tumor Growth Inhibition with Special Reference to Modulation of the Immune Microenvironment in Lewis Lung Cancer Mice

“…Moxibustion was carried out for 15 min, five times per week for two weeks ( Figure 1(a) ) [ 18 ]. Before moxibustion, the fur on the moxibustion region was shaved to expose the bilateral ST36 (Zusanli acupoint, located 2 mm lateral to the anterior tubercle of the tibia in the anterior tibial muscle and 4 mm distal to the knee joint lower point).…”

Long-Lasting and Additive Analgesic Effects of Combined Treatment of Bee Venom Acupuncture and Venlafaxine on Paclitaxel-Induced Allodynia in Mice

“…The ST36 acupoint is located on the tibialis anterior muscle of the leg, and its functions in traditional oriental medicine are to fortify the spleen and stomach, replenish qi and nourish blood, clear and activate meridians, and nourish the channels [ 15 ]. Lots of pre-clinical works indicated that stimulations applied on this acupoint (e.g., BVA, electro-acupuncture, laser-acupuncture, or moxibustion) can produce significant pain-relieving effects under diverse conditions, such as neuropathic, incision, or inflammatory pain state [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”