Recent Medline Abstracts on AP

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

See recent Medline Abstracts on AP, below.

 

Phil

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

See Z Orthop Ihre Grenzgeb. 2003 Jul-Aug;141(4):395-400. [Randomised trial of

acupuncture compared with conventional massage and " Sham " laser

acupuncture for treatment of chronic neck pain - range of motion analysis]

[Article in German] Konig A, Radke S, Molzen H, Haase M, Muller C, Drexler

D, Natalis M, Krauss M, Behrens N, Irnich D. Orthopadische Klinik, Klinik am

Eichert, Goppingen. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of

acupuncture on active motion of the cervical spine in patients with chronic neck

pain with those of " sham " laser acupuncture and massage. MATERIAL AND

METHODS: 177 patients with chronic neck pain were included in this

prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study. The patients were allocated

by external randomization to five treatments over three weeks with acupuncture,

massage and " sham " laser acupuncture. The range of active motion was

measured by means of a 3D ultrasound real time motion analyzer. RESULTS:

The analysis of cervical motion in three directions showed the largest increase

in range of motion 14 days after acupuncture. Compared to massage, a

significant improvement in total range of motion was seen in those patients

treated by acupuncture immediately (p = 0,03) and one week (p = 0,03) weeks

after therapy. There was no significant difference in those patients treated by

sham laser acupuncture. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that

acupuncture is superior to conventional massage for improving active range of

motion in patients with chronic neck pain. Because of its positive effects, its

acceptance among patients and the lack of severe side effects, acupuncture

can be recommended for the treatment of chronic neck pain, although there

was no significant difference in results between " sham " laser acupuncture and

acupuncture. PMID: 12928995 [PubMed - in process]

 

Lasers Med Sci. 2003;18(2):100-3. Low-level 809 nm GaAlAs laser irradiation

increases the proliferation rate of human laryngeal carcinoma cells in vitro.

Kreisler M, Christoffers AB, Willershausen B, D'Hoedt B. Johannes Gutenberg-

University, Mainz, Germany, E-mail: matthiaskreisler The aim of the

study was to investigate the effect of low-level 809 nm laser irradiation on the

proliferation rate of human larynx carcinoma cells in vitro. Epithelial tumor

cells

were obtained from a laryngeal carcinoma and cultured under standard

conditions. For laser treatment the cells were spread on 96-well tissue culture

plates. Sixty-six cell cultures were irradiated with an 809 nm GaAlAs laser.

Another 66 served as controls. Power output was 10 mW(cw) and the time of

exposure 75-300 s per well, corresponding to an energy fluence of 1.96-7.84

J/cm(2). Subsequent to laser treatment, the cultures were incubated for 72 h.

The proliferation rate was determined by means of fluorescence activity of a

redox indicator (Alamar Blue Assay) added to the cultures immediately after

the respective treatment. The indicator is reduced by metabolic activity related

to cellular growth. Proliferation was determined up to 72 h after laser

application. The irradiated cells revealed a considerably higher proliferation

activity. The differences were highly significant up to 72 h after irradiation

(Mann-

Whitney U test, p < 0.001). A cellular responsiveness of human laryngeal

carcinoma cells to low-level laser irradiation is obvious. The cell line is

therefore

suitable for basic research investigations concerning the biological mechanisms

of LLLT on cells. PMID: 12928820 [PubMed - in process]

 

Lasers Med Sci. 2003;18(2):95-9. Increased fibroblast proliferation induced by

light emitting diode and low power laser irradiation. Vinck EM, Cagnie BJ,

Cornelissen MJ, Declercq HA, Cambier DC. Department of Rehabilitation

Sciences and Physiotherapy, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium,

elke.vinck Background and Objective: As Light Emitting Diode (LED)

devices are commercially introduced as an alternative for Low Level Laser (LLL)

Therapy, the ability of LED in influencing wound healing processes at cellular

level was examined. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Cultured fibroblasts

were treated in a controlled, randomized manner, during three consecutive

days, either with an infrared LLL or with a LED light source emitting several

wavelengths (950 nm, 660 nm and 570 nm) and respective power outputs.

Treatment duration varied in relation to varying surface energy densities

(radiant

exposures). Results: Statistical analysis revealed a higher rate of

proliferation

(p </= 0.001) in all irradiated cultures in comparison with the controls. Green

light yielded a significantly higher number of cells, than red (p </= 0.001) and

infrared LED light (p </= 0.001) and than the cultures irradiated with the LLL

(p

</= 0.001); the red probe provided a higher increase (p </= 0.001) than the

infrared LED probe and than the LLL source. Conclusion: LED and LLL

irradiation resulted in an increased fibroblast proliferation in vitro. This

study

therefore postulates possible stimulatory effects on wound healing in vivo at

the

applied dosimetric parameters. PMID: 12928819 [PubMed - in process]

 

Lasers Med Sci. 2003;18(2):89-94. Effect of low-power GaAlAs laser (660 nm)

on bone structure and cell activity: an experimental animal study. Nicola RA,

Jorgetti V, Rigau J, Pacheco MT, Dos Reis LM, Zangaro RA. Vale of Paraiba

University, Sao Jose dos Campos (SP), Brazil, renatanicolau

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is increasingly being used in the regeneration of

soft tissue. In the regeneration of hard tissue, it has already been shown that

the biomodulation effect of lasers repairs bones more quickly. We studied the

activity in bone cells after LLLT close to the site of the bone injury. The

femurs

of 48 rats were perforated (24 in the irradiated group and 24 in the control

group)

and the irradiated group was treated with a GaAlAs laser of 660 nm, 10J/cm(2)

of radiant exposure on the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th days after surgery (DAS). We

carried out histomorphometry analysis of the bone. We found that activity was

higher in the irradiated group than in the control group: (a) bone volume at5

DAS ( p=0.035); (b) osteoblast surface at 15 DAS ( p=0.0002); © mineral

apposition rate at 15 and 25 DAS ( p=0.0008 and 0.006); (d) osteoclast surface

at 5 DAS and 25 DAS ( p=0.049 and p=0.0028); and (e) eroded surface (

p=0.0032). We concluded that LLLT increases the activity in bone cells

(resorption and formation) around the site of the repair without changing the

bone structure. PMID: 12928818 [PubMed - in process]

 

No effect of GA-AS (904 nm) laser irradiation on the intact skin of the injured

rat

sciatic nerve. Bagis S, Comelekoglu U, Coskun B, Milcan A, Buyukakilli B,

Sahin G, Ozisik S, Erdogan C. Mersin University, Adana, Turkey,

seldabagis We evaluated the electrophysiological and

histopathological effects of low-energy gallium arsenide (904 nm) laser

irradiation on the intact skin injured rat sciatic nerve. Twenty-four male

Wistar

rats were divided into three groups ( n=8 each). At the level of proximal third

of

the femur the sciatic nerve was crushed bilaterally with an aneursym clip

(Aesculap FE 751, Tuttingen, Germany) for half a second. A gallium arsenide

laser (wavelength 904 nm, pulse duration 220 ns, peak power per pulse 27 W,

spot size 0.28 cm(2), pulse repetition rate 16, 128 and 1000 Hz; total applied

energy density 0.31, 2.48 and 19 J/cm(2)) was applied to the right sciatic nerve

for 15 min daily at the same time on 7 consecutive days. The same procedure

was performed on the left sciatic nerve of same animal, but without radiation

emission, and this was accepted as control. Compound muscle action

potentials were recorded from right and left sides in all three groups before

surgery, just at the end of injury, at the 24th hour and on the 14th and 21st

days of injury in all rats using a BIOPAC MP 100 Acquisition System Version

3.5.7 (Santa Barbara, USA). BIOPAC Acknowledge Analysis Software (ACK

100 W) was used to measure CMAP amplitude, area, proximal and distal

latency, total duration and conduction velocity. Twenty-one days after injury,

the rats were sacrificed. The sciatic nerves of the operated parts were

harvested

from the right and left sides. Histopathological evaluation was performed by

light

microscopy. Statistical evaluation was done using analysis of variance for two

factors (right and left sides) repeated-measures (CMAP variables within groups)

and the Tukey-Kramer Honestly Significant Difference test (CMAP variables

between laser groups). The significance was set at p </= 0.05. No statistically

significant difference ( p >/= 0.05) was found regarding the amplitude, area,

duration and conduction velocity of CMAP for each applied dose (0.31, 2.48 and

19 J/cm(2)) on the irradiated (right) side and the control (left) side, or

between

irradiated groups. Twenty-one days after injury there were no qualitative

differences in the morphological pattern of the regenerated nerve fibres in

either

irradiated (0.31, 2.48 and 19 J/cm(2)) or control nerves when evaluated by light

microscopy. This study showed that low-energy GaAs irradiation did not have

any effect on the injured rat sciatic nerve. PMID: 12928817 [PubMed - in

process]

 

Lasers Med Sci. 2003;18(2):78-82. Effect of low-level laser irradiation on

osteoglycin gene expression in osteoblasts. Hamajima S, Hiratsuka K,

Kiyama-Kishikawa M, Tagawa T, Kawahara M, Ohta M, Sasahara H, Abiko Y.

Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Chiba, Japan. Many studies

have attempted to elucidate the mechanism of the biostimulatory effects of low-

level laser irradiation (LLLI), but the molecular basis of these effects remains

obscure. We investigated the stimulatory effect of LLLI on bone formation during

the early proliferation stage of cultured osteoblastic cells. A mouse calvaria-

derived osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3-E1, was utilised to perform a cDNA

microarray hybridisation to identify genes that induced expression by LLLI at

the early stage. Among those genes that showed at least a twofold increased

expression, the osteoglycin/mimecan gene was upregulated 2.3-fold at 2 h after

LLLI. Osteoglycin is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) of the

extracellular matrix which was previously called the osteoinductive factor. SLRP

are abundantly contained in the bone matrix, cartilage cells and connective

tissues, and are thought to regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and

adhesion in close association with collagen and many other growth factors. We

investigated the time-related expression of this gene by LLLI using a reverse

transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, and more precisely

with a real-time PCR method, and found increases of 1.5-2-fold at 2-4 h after

LLLI compared with the non-irradiated controls. These results suggest that the

increased expression of the osteoglycin gene by LLLI in the early proliferation

stage of cultured osteoblastic cells may play an important role in the

stimulation of bone formation in concert with matrix proteins and growth

factors.

PMID: 12928816 [PubMed - in process]

 

Lasers Med Sci. 2003;18(2):72-7. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the

management of stage III decubitus ulcers: a prospective, observer-blinded

multicentre randomised clinical trial. Lucas C, Van Gemert MJ, De Haan RJ.

Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Professional Education, The

Netherlands. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been suggested as a

promising treatment option for open wounds. In view of the absence of

randomised studies with sufficiently large sample sizes, we assessed the

efficacy of LLLT in the treatment of stage III decubitus ulcers. We performed a

prospective, observer-blinded multicentre randomised clinical trial to assess

the

effect of LLLT as adjuvant to standard decubitus care. A total of 86 patients

were enrolled into the study. Treatment was the prevailing consensus decubitus

treatment ( n=47); one group ( n=39) had LLLT in addition, five times a week

over a period of 6 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the absolute

(mm(2)) and relative (%) wound size reduction at 6 weeks compared to

baseline. Secondary outcome measures were the number of patients

developing a stage IV ulcer during the study period, and the median change in

Norton scores at 6 weeks compared to baseline. Based on the intention-to-treat

principle, using last-observation-carried-forward analyses, Mann-Whitney U

tests showed that the differences between the two groups in terms of absolute

improvement ( p=0.23) and relative improvement ( p=0.42) were not significant.

Because the wound size areas were non-normally distributed, we also analysed

the data after logarithmic transformation of the wound size measurements. No

significant difference in log(e) improvement scores between groups could be

demonstrated (unpaired t-test: p=0.59). During the treatment period 11% of the

patients in the control group and 8% of the patients in the LLLT group

developed a stage IV decubitus ulcer (Fisher's exact test: p=0.72). The

patients' Norton scores did not change during the treatment period. In this

trial

we found no evidence that justifies using low-level laser therapy as an adjuvant

to the consensus decubitus ulcer treatment. PMID: 12928815 [PubMed - in

process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):42-6. Acupuncture for low back pain in

pregnancy. Cummings M. BMAS. Medical-Director@medical-

acupuncture.org.uk Medical doctors are particularly cautious about using

acupuncture in pregnancy. This derives from the mostly historical and

anecdotal claims that acupuncture can promote abortion, coupled with the fact

that spontaneous early pregnancy loss is common, and litigation is increasing.

This case report describes the circumstances that lead to the author using

deep paraspinal and periosteal acupuncture throughout a patient's pregnancy to

help control her low back pain. PMID: 12924847 [PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):47-51. Practising acupuncture in the

developing world. Watkins S. sarahwatkins50 Historically a

GP, Dr Sarah Watkins took up acupuncture relatively late in her career, but has

taken it a long way since then. In this article she presents a vivid picture of

what it is like to introduce acupuncture to remote rural populations in parts of

the developing world. She describes the rapidly growing demand of the local

populations following just word-of-mouth spread that a new treatment was

available; the different needle length requirements of the impoverished locals

compared with the average well-fed westerner; and the simple, safe and

effective treatment regimes that she developed and introduced to the local

trained nurses, in order to cope with the numbers of patients and to provide

continuity of care after her departure. Sarah also comments on the emerging

pattern of response that she has observed amongst her patients, and enters

into a brief discussion of why this might be so. Early influences on her

technique include Felix Mann, Chan Gunn, and a period of study at the Nanjing

College of TCM in China. Whilst in the United Kingdom Sarah divides hertime

between private practice and working as a police surgeon, but is planning return

trips to both Bangladesh and Ethiopia, plus fresh pastures in Vietnam and

Kerala in south west India. PMID: 12924848 [PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):36-41. Low back pain in pregnancy. Forrester

M. maxforrester The aim of this case report is to discuss the

subject of acupuncture in pregnancy and which acupuncture points, or areas,

are safe to needle. Low back pain in a 21-year-old Caucasian primigravida at 24

weeks gestation was incapacitating and acupuncture was offered. Prior to

pregnancy investigations had excluded a serious organic cause and

acupuncture was employed successfully to control pain and improve function.

Acupuncture can be offered to sufferers of low back pain in pregnancy after risk

/ benefit analysis is undertaken and informed patient consent is obtained.

PMID: 12924846 [PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):32-5. Referred knee pain treated with

electroacupuncture to iliopsoas. Cummings M. BMAS. medical-

director This is a case report of a 33-year-old

woman who presented with an eight year history of deep left knee pain. The

pain was originally diagnosed as deriving from osteoarthrosis of the hip

secondary to dysplasia, however, the same pain returned at seven months, and

again at 10 months, after successful hip resurfacing arthroplasty. Six to eight

weeks after the start of the second relapse of referred knee pain, the patient

sought acupuncture treatment at the British Medical Acupuncture Society's

London Teaching Clinic. A single myofascial trigger point was found in iliopsoas

that reproduced the patient's pain. It was successfully treated with two

sessions of electroacupuncture applied directly to the point. Pain referral to

the

knee from trigger points in the upper part of rectus femoris is well recognised,

however, this pattern of referral from iliopsoas has not been described

previously. PMID: 12924845 [PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):28-31. An audit of self-acupuncture in primary

care. Fagan N, Staten P. nigel.fagan This paper presents

early experiences with self-acupuncture (i.e. patients treating themselves with

acupuncture), in a medium sized, mainly urban, General Practice. It has been

useful in allowing greater access to acupuncture in this setting. Fifteen

conditions were treated; the majority of which were musculoskeletal. Ten out of

fifteen reported their treatment to be successful. No adverse eventswere

reported by any of the patients. PMID: 12924844 [PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):18-22; discussion 22. Acupuncture for soft

tissue shoulder disorders: a series of 201 cases. Guerra J, Bassas E, Andres

M, Verdugo F, Gonzalez M. Centro de Salud de Torreblanca, Sevilla, Spain.

med010042 A retrospective observational study was performed on

shoulder pain cases seen in a community general practice. 201 patients were

treated with acupuncture (on distant points plus local shoulder points),

moxibustion and auriculotherapy. Data was retrieved from records over a three-

year period to assess the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on pain,

mobility and disability, and to compare perceived efficacy rates with published

reports from Chinese acupuncturists. Using a four-point outcome scale in this

series of 201 patients the study found: one patient (0.5%) reported no

improvement, 12 (6%) simple improvement, 68 (33.8%) remarkable

improvement, and 120 (59.7%) clinical resolution. Only two patients left the

programme. In conclusion, treatment of soft tissue shoulder disorders with

acupuncture and moxibustion in this series seems to have good clinical results

in diminishing symptoms, shortening disease duration time and improving

functional ability, even in long-lasting disease (up to 10 years). A combination

of distant points plus local points, moxibustion and auriculotherapy seems to

increase effectiveness, reduce the number of sessions per patient, and

increase the time between sessions, suiting the needs of patients and those of

a busy National Health Service clinic. The authors report results similar to

those reported by Chinese acupuncturists when using similar diagnostic

procedures, techniques, outcome measures and patients. This case series is

the first step towards conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of

acupuncture efficacy in shoulder pain. Such trials are needed to confirm the

perceived efficacy of acupuncture from observational studies. PMID: 12924842

[PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):9-17. The effects of electroacupuncture on

peripheral nerve regeneration in rats. Inoue M, Hojo T, Yano T, Katsumi Y.

Meiji University of Oriental Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. mo_inoue-

u.ac.jp This study was designed to examine the effects of electroacupuncture

with direct current (DC) on peripheral nerve regeneration. The left sciatic

nerve

of 55 7-month-old rats was crushed at the thigh. They were ramdomly allocated

to four groups: distal cathode DC group (n = 15), distal anode DC group (n =

14), sham operated group (n = 13), and control group (n = 13). In the distal

cathode DC group, a cathode electrode was connected to an insulated

acupuncture needle inserted at 1 cm distal to the injured site, while an anode

electrode was connected to a needle inserted at 1 cm proximal to the lesion. In

the distal anode DC group, the anode and the cathode electrode were

connected to the needle at 1 cm distal and proximal to the lesion respectively.

In the sham operated group, no electrical stimulation was given to the insulated

needle inserted at the same site, and in the control group, no treatment was

given. Regeneration of the sciatic nerve was evaluated by the number of evoked

EMGs recorded at 12 sites in the plantar region, by their latency, and by the

weight ratio of the tibialis anterior at four weeks after the crush injury.

Regeneration of the peripheral nerve was faster and more accelerated in the

distal cathode DC group than in the other groups, while in the distal anode DC

group the regeneration was delayed. This result suggested electroacupuncture

with cathode distal orientation might be a useful treatment having the advantage

of enabling deeper insertion with minimal tissue damage. PMID: 12924841

[PubMed - in process]

 

Acupunct Med. 2003 Jun;21(1-2):2-8. Anatomy for the acupuncturist--facts &

fiction. 1: The head and neck region. Peuker E, Cummings M. Department of

Anatomy, Clinical Anatomy Division, University of Muenster, Muenster,

Germany. e-peuker Knowledge of anatomy, and the skill to

apply it, is arguably the most important facet of safe and competent

acupuncture practice. The authors believe that an acupuncturist should always

know where the tip of their needle lies with respect to the relevant anatomy so

that vital structures can be avoided and the intended target for stimulation can

be reached. PMID: 12924840 [PubMed - in process]

 

 

Best regards,

 

 

WORK : Teagasc Staff Development Unit, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

WWW :

Email: <

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

Email: <

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]