Modulatory Effect of Acupuncture on the Cardiovascular System: A Cross-Over Study

Ballegaard, Søren; Muteki, Takesuke; Harada, Hideki; Ueda, Naoyuki; Tsuda, Hideaki; Tayama, Fumitaka; Ohishi, Kazuo

doi:10.3727/036012993816357548

Cited by 39 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…The results of their study suggest that electroacupuncture shows more similarity to the e#ects achieved by injecting the sensory neurotransmitters SP or CGRP into the flap than to the e#ects of blocking the sympathetic vasoconstrictor neurons. In healthy volunteers, Ballegard et al [13] evaluated the modulatory e#ects of electroacupuncture on the cardiovascular system using a placebo-pill (vitamin pill) controlled, crossover study with 23 male students. As in the present study, needles were left in place, but stimulated electrically for 20 min, using di#erent acupoints (Hegu and Shousanli).…”

Section: Laser Doppler Flowmetry and Combined Needle Acupuncture-moximentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Electroacupuncture, needle acupuncture and moxibustion are common forms of treatment in TCM. In humans, LDF was used to detect changes in the microvascular flow of the skin in a placebo-pill controlled cross-over study in healthy males due to electroacupuncture [13], of the skin over the parotid region due to needle or electroacupuncture in patients with Sjö gren's syndrome [14], and of tender points in fibromyalgia patients due to needle acupuncture [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Combined Needle Acupuncture and Moxibustion: A Pilot Study in Healthy Adults

et al. 2001

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Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) (DRT 4/Moor Instruments Ltd, Devon, UK) was used in this pilot study for monitoring the effects of an invariable acupuncture pattern on microcirculation of the skin before, during, and after combined needle acupuncture and moxibustion in 12 healthy volunteers (mean age 35.2 +/- 4.4 years, range 26-41 years, four female and eight male). According to the standards of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this acupuncture pattern is assumed to be unspecific and non-therapeutic. Flux decreased during the treatment period (p<0.05) compared to the control phase before combined needle acupuncture and moxibustion. After the removal of the needles, flux did not return to the initial control value. No significant differences between mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature or gender were detected. A prediction of individual incidences and kinds of acupuncture effects in our healthy volunteers was not possible. Modern monitoring techniques like LDF could be a method to separate responders from non-responders to acupuncture in peripheral microcirculatory disorders. Further studies on patients with peripheral microcirculatory disorders are necessary in order to demonstrate the value of LDF in detecting responders/non-responders in combination with therapeutic acupuncture patterns according to TCM.

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Section: Laser Doppler Flowmetry and Combined Needle Acupuncture-moximentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Combined Needle Acupuncture and Moxibustion: A Pilot Study in Healthy Adults

et al. 2001

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“…In einer randomisierten, kontrollierten vierarmigen Untersuchung, in der verschiedene Kombinationen zwischen Ko È rper-und Ohrakupunktur angewendet wurden, fanden sich in allen Gruppen signifikante Blutdruckabnahmen [8]. In einer placebokontrollierten Studie mit gesunden Personen, die sowohl hinsichtlich des Studiendesigns als auch der Akupunkturqualita Èt den heutzutage geforderten Standards entspricht, ergab eine Ko È rperelektroakupunktur dagegen keine signifikante Blutdrucksenkung [9]. Auch die Herzfrequenz fiel nicht ab [6,9].…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…In einer placebokontrollierten Studie mit gesunden Personen, die sowohl hinsichtlich des Studiendesigns als auch der Akupunkturqualita Èt den heutzutage geforderten Standards entspricht, ergab eine Ko È rperelektroakupunktur dagegen keine signifikante Blutdrucksenkung [9]. Auch die Herzfrequenz fiel nicht ab [6,9]. Dagegen wird in der Literatur u È ber signifikante Abnahmen der Serumkonzentrationen von Triglyzeriden (bis 41%) und Cholesterin (um 10%) berichtet [7,10].…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Der Einfluss einer standardisierten Akupunkturbehandlung auf Beschwerden, Blutdruck und Serumlipide hypertensiver, postmenopausaler Frauen. Randomisierte, kontrollierte klinische Studie

Kraft¹,

Coulon²

1999

Complement Med Res

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Background: Acupuncture according to the Chinese syndrome is often used in patients with postmenopausal complaints. Often these patients have an increased blood pressure. As experienced therapists report that acupuncture is efficient also in hypertension, our aim was to investigate whether the acupuncture used for the treatment of postmenopausal syndrome also has an effect on blood pressure. Patients and Methods: The efficacy of a standardized acupuncture according to the Chinese syndrome was evaluated in a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study with 10 postmenopausal patients with mild hypertension. Blood pressure was measured by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement. Complaints and well-being were evaluated by validated questionnaires. In addition, serum lipids and excretion of catecholamines in the 24-hour urine were measured. Results: Blood pressure was altered neither by verum nor placebo acupuncture, however, complaints were significantly reduced and well-being was improved after verum treatment. The improvement lasted less than two months. Serum lipids did not change, but the excretion of normetanephrine was reduced by verum acupuncture. Conclusions: Acupuncture with a standardized combination of acupuncture points according to the Chinese syndrome can transitorily reduce postmenopausal complaints, but does not alter blood pressure or serum lipids at the same time.

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“…Previous studies of the physiological response to acupuncture have used, in part, heart rate (HR) and non-invasive (measurement of) blood pressure (NIBP). [18][19][20][21] Others have used invasive measures such as microelectrode implant in muscle or repeated blood sampling. Ballegaard also used the derived pressure rate product (PRP) as an outcome measure of cardiac workload, which Wright et al had demonstrated to be a sensitive assessment for even small cardiac workloads.…”

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confidence: 99%

Point Injection as An Alternative Acupuncture Technique – An Exploratory Study of Responses in Healthy Subjects

2007

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Introduction Point injection as a therapeutic technique is well documented, but its physiological effects have not been formally compared with traditional acupuncture. One aim of this study was to compare the effects of the two techniques at one acupuncture point, as a step towards understanding the mode of action of point injection and validating its clinical use. A second aim was to explore whether repeated point injection at the same site might provide a way of increasing the dose of stimulation, in the hope of identifying a dose response curve which could be an alternative strategy to placebo control in demonstrating the biological effects of acupuncture. Methods Sixty nine healthy subjects (age range 18–56 years, mean 29.9; 48 females) completed the study, which employed a counterbalanced experimental design with two stimulation sessions of LI4 approximately one week apart. One half of the participants received point injection first, and the other half received traditional acupuncture first. Baseline physiological data were recorded, then measurements were made before, during and after stimulation; each subject also reported needle sensation ( de qi). The measures were heart rate, derived pressure rate product and mean arterial pressure. Results Although stronger sensations of de qi were reported with point injection, no significant differences were found for mean heart rate (HR), pressure rate product (PRP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) before and after stimulation by the two techniques. No subject gender or age bias was encountered and previous exposure to acupuncture had no effect on outcome. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) made on data from a small subset (n=10) of this cohort also showed no significant differences in autonomic response. Conclusion Point injection and traditional acupuncture seem to provoke similar physiological responses, although the greater needle sensation seen with point injection might indicate it could have more powerful clinical effects. Further studies of repeated point injection are necessary to indicate whether this technique may provide a method of increased strength of point stimulation, as an alternative to traditional needling in acupuncture research.

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Modulatory Effect of Acupuncture on the Cardiovascular System: A Cross-Over Study

Cited by 39 publications

References 0 publications

Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Combined Needle Acupuncture and Moxibustion: A Pilot Study in Healthy Adults

Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Combined Needle Acupuncture and Moxibustion: A Pilot Study in Healthy Adults

Der Einfluss einer standardisierten Akupunkturbehandlung auf Beschwerden, Blutdruck und Serumlipide hypertensiver, postmenopausaler Frauen. Randomisierte, kontrollierte klinische Studie

Point Injection as An Alternative Acupuncture Technique – An Exploratory Study of Responses in Healthy Subjects

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