Recent Medline Abstracts on Acupuncture

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Format of a weekly search of PubMed Medline for acupuncture &

related abstracts (just change the starting date (2004/3/6) and

ending date (2004/3/12), as needed):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed & orig_db

=PubMed & term=(2004/3/6%20%5BEdat%5D:2004/3/12%20%5BE

dat%5D)%20AND%20(acupo*%20OR%20acupu*%20OR%20LLLT

%20OR%22%20cold-laser? %22%20OR%20%22low-level-

laser%22%20OR%20moxib*%20OR%20%22transcutaneous%20el

ectrical%20nerve%22) & cmd=search

 

Ausfeld-Hafter B, Marti F, Hoffmann S. | [smoking cessation with

ear AP. Descriptive study on patients after a smoking cessation

treatment with ear AP - Article in German] | Forsch

Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2004 Feb;11(1):8-13. |

Kollegiale Instanz fur Komplementarmedizin (KIKOM), Universitat

Bern, Switzerland. | Background: In complementary medicine

literature studies on long-term observation of one of its methods are

rare. Objective: The present study is an evaluation of the smoking

behavior of patients treated with ear AP for smoking cessation.

Additionally we investigated factors that favor or impede smoking

cessation. Patients and Methods: 249 patients who had undergone

ear AP for smoking cessation between 1985 and 1998 in a practice

in Aarau (Switzerland) were asked before the first treatment to fill in

a form regarding their smoking behavior and retrospectively in

autumn 1998 a questionnaire regarding the success of therapy. Ear

AP treatment consisted of 2 consultations at an interval of 10 days.

The responder rate was 53.8% (134 questionnaires were returned).

Finally the data of 126 persons could be evaluated. Results: The

Kaplan Meier analysis of the abstinence time yielded a one-year

success rate of 41.1%. Men gave up smoking more easily than

women. Start of smoking as well as start of treatment between the

age of 20 and 40 years were favorable conditions for smoking

cessation. People who had smoked 20 cigarettes or more per day

before treatment profited the best. For people who smoked as a

way of passing the time or because of tediousness it was easier to

stop smoking than for people smoking because of nervousness.

People living in a non-smoker household were able to stop smoking

significantly easier than persons living in a smoker household. With

a one-year success rate of 41.1% ear AP is a competitive

alternative to orthodox medicine withdrawal methods. AP treatment

can be applied and adapted individually, furthermore it is

economical and without side effects. Copyright 2004 S. Karger

GmbH, Freiburg | PMID: 15004442 [PubMed - in process]

 

Braczkowska B, Kowalska M. | [in Process Citation - Article in

Polish] | Wiad Lek. 2002;55 Suppl 1:61-8. | Katedry Higieny i

Epidemiologii Slaskiej Akademii Medycznej w Katowicach.

braczkowska_b | The WHO data indicate HCV

infection as a very important problem for public health. About 3.1%

of world population was infected in the years 1975-

1980. According to WHO prognosis number of infected

persons is still growing. The importance of this problem is

illustrated by the fact of its priority range of WHO, European

Union Health programs as well as National Health Program in

Poland. Clinical picture and lack of epidemiological data make

the data about real endanger incomplete. The prevalence of

HCV infection have never been established unequivocally, and

available data are different. Current (1999) PZH register gives

the number of hepatitis C cases as 1988, and incidence rate was

5.1 per 100,000. Epidemiology of HCV infection is basically

shaped by the way of infection. Infection by blood and blood

products did not tested for anti-HCV antibodies as well as using

infected medical instruments are well documented. There are

also possibilities of sexual, perinatal and household infections.

AP, tattoo and other manipulations living to skin discontinue also

favour the HCV infection. The risk of infection connected with

health care serving is the most important for patients as well as

for healthcare professionals. | PMID: 15002220 [PubMed - in

process]

 

Cooper R, Stoflet S. | Diversity and consistency: the challenge of

maintaining quality in a multidisciplinary workforce. | J Health

Serv Res Policy. 2004 Jan;9 Suppl 1:39-47. | Medical College

of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, WI 53226, USA. | Non-physician clinicians have

become prominent providers of patient services within the

practice of medicine. They include nurse practitioners and

clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, the alternative and

complementary disciplines (chiropractic, naturopathy and AP),

mental health providers (psychologists, clinical social workers,

counsellors and therapists) and specialty disciplines

(optometrists, podiatrists, nurse anaesthetists and nurse-

midwives). Although these various disciplines have differing

histories and philosophic frameworks, which create distinctive

approaches to patient care, they have shared a struggle to obtain

recognition and autonomy through state licensure, to expand

their state-granted practice prerogatives and to achieve broader

reimbursement from third-party payers and managed care. Most

entered into a growth spurt beginning in the early 1990s. All now

provide care that not only overlaps that of physicians but that

complements and supplements that care. The central question is,

how does their care contribute to quality? The evidence thus far

shows that non-physician clinicians throughout the range of

disciplines can produce high-quality outcomes under particular

circumstances. However, the strongest body of evidence is

derived from care that is at the least complex end of the clinical

spectrum or that is provided under the umbrella of physicians.

Unfortunately, few studies have critically examined the outcomes

of non-physician clinicians at the leading edge of their practice

prerogatives and under conditions that are free of physician

oversight. Thus, while the principle that they can deliver high

quality care within the practice of medicine is unequivocally true,

more research is needed to test this principle under conditions of

greater clinical complexity and autonomy, and, pending the

results of such research, caution must be exercised in applying

this principle too broadly. | PMID: 15006227 [PubMed - in

process]

 

Habek D, Barbir A, Habek JC, Janculiak D, Bobic-Vukovic M.

| Success of AP and acupressure of the PC06 acupoint in the

treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. | Forsch

Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2004 Feb;11(1):20-3. |

Clinical Hospital Osijek, Croatia. | Objective: The aim of this

study was to evaluate the antiemetic effect of AP (AP) and

acupressure (APr) of the PC06 acupoint in pregnant women

with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Methods: A prospective,

placebo-controlled trial included 36 pregnant women with HG.

Two methods of AP were used: bilateral manual AP of the

PC06 (Neiguan) acupoint (group 1, n = 10) and bilateral APr of

the PC06 acupoint (group 2, n = 11); furthermore, superficial

intracutaneous placebo AP (group 3, n = 8) and placebo APr

(group 4, n = 7) was carried out. Results: Anxiodepressive

symptoms occurred in 9 pregnant women with HG from group

1, 8 women from group 2, 7 women from group 3, and 5

women from group 4 (p < 0.001). The average gestation age at

the occurrence of HG symptoms and the beginning of treatment

was 7 weeks in group 1 and 8 weeks in groups 2, 3, and 4.

Four women from group 1 and 7 women from groups 2, 3, an 4

needed intravenous compensation of liquid and electrolytes. The

antiemetic metoclopramide was given intravenously to 1 woman

from group 1, 2 women from group 2, 6 women from group 3,

and 4 women from group 4. Promethazine was given to 1

woman from group 2, 1 woman from group 3, and to 3 women

from group 4. The efficiency of the HG treatment with AP of the

point PC06 was 90%, with APr of the PC06 63.6%, with

placebo AP 12.5%, and with placebo APr 0%. Conclusion: AP

(p < 0.0001) and acupressure (p < 0.1) are effective,

nonpharmacologic methods for the treatment of HG. Copyright

2004 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg | PMID: 15004444 [PubMed

- in process]

 

Johnson RW, Whitton TL. | Management of herpes zoster

(shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia. | Expert Opin

Pharmacother. 2004 Mar;5(3):551-9. | Bristol Royal Infirmary. |

Herpes zoster (HZ) results from recrudescence of varicella

zoster virus latent since primary infection (varicella). The overall

incidence of HZ is approximately 3/1000 of the population per

year rising to 10/1000 per year by 80 years of age.

Approximately 50% of individuals reaching 90 years of age will

have had HZ. In approximately 6%, a second attack may occur

(usually several decades after the first). Patients with HZ can

transmit the virus to a non-immune individual causing varicella.

HZ is not contracted from individuals with varicella or HZ.

Reduced cell-mediated immunity to HZ occurs with ageing,

explaining the increased incidence in the elderly and from other

causes such as tumours, HIV and immunosuppressant drugs.

Diagnosis is usually clinical from typical unilateral dermatomal

pain and rash. Prodromal symptoms, pain, itching and malaise,

are common. The most common complication of HZ is

postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), defined as significant pain or

dysaesthesia present >/= 3 months after HZ. PHN results from

damage and secondary changes within components of the

nervous system subserving pain. Some motor deficit is common;

severe and long-lasting paresis may rarely accompany HZ.

More than 5% of elderly patients have PHN at 1 year after

acute HZ. Predictors of PHN are, greater age, acute pain and

rash severity, prodromal pain, the presence of virus in peripheral

blood as well as adverse psychosocial factors. Therapy for

acute HZ is intended to reduce acute pain, hasten rash healing

and reduce the risk of PHN and other complications. Antiviral

drugs are close to achieving these aims but do not entirely

remove risk of PHN. Oral steroids show no protective effect

against PHN. Adequate analgesia during the acute phase may

require strong opioid drugs. Nerve blocks and tricyclic

antidepressants (TCAs) may reduce the risk of PHN although

firm evidence is lacking. PHN requires thorough evaluation and

development of a management strategy for each individual

patient. Initial therapy is with TCAs (e.g., nortriptyline) or the

anticonvulsant gabapentin. Topical lidocaine patches frequently

reduce allodynia. Strong opioids are sometimes required.

Topical capsaicin cream is beneficial for a small proportion of

patients but is poorly tolerated. NMDA antagonists have not

proved beneficial with the exception of ketamine.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) may be

effective in some cases. HZ is a common condition. Severe

complications such as stroke, encephalitis and myelitis are

relatively rare whereas sight threatening complications of

ophthalmic HZ are more common. PHN is common, distressing

and often intractable. Good management improves outcome. |

PMID: 15013924 [PubMed - in process]

 

Johnstone PA, Issa MM. | AP in conventional practice. | J

Endourol. 2004 Feb;18(1):127. | Dept. of Radiation Oncology

and Hematology/Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.

| | PMID: 15006067 [PubMed - in process]

 

Olyaei GR, Talebian S, Hadian MR, Bagheri H, Momadjed F. |

The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on

sympathetic skin response. | Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol.

2004 Jan-Feb;44(1):23-8. | Department of Physical Therapy,

Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. | The aim

of present study was to determine whether combination of

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and AP

inhibits sympathetic nerve activity in healthy humans. Multiunit

efferent postganglionic sympathetic activity was recorded with

Toennies set. In this study, the aim was to obtain latency,

amplitude and duration of sympathetic skin response (SSR) and

skin temperature (ST) from both hands in 15 healthy subjects.

Subjects randomly assigned and everybody participated in all

the three groups [Control Group (CG), AP Group (AG) and

Nerve Stimulation Group (NSG)]. TENS (2 Hz, 250

microsecond) was applied over the median nerve of the right

elbow in NSG for 20 min, either, TENS was applied over (HE-

7) point of the right hand in CG (TENS off) and AG (TENS on)

for 20 min. SSR (lat, amp, dur) and ST data was recorded

before TENS and for immediate, 5 min and 10 min post--

TENS. ST was recorded in distal phalanx of index finger of both

hands and SSR was recorded from both hands. TENS in CG

did not affect ST and SSR following stimulation. TENS applied

at AG and NSG caused a significant increase in ST (P = 0.001),

significant increase in latency of SSR (P = 0.001), significant

decrease in amplitude of SSR (P = 0.001) and no significant

changes were observed in duration of SSR (P > 0.05). Then

statistical analysis showed differences between both of groups

(AG & NSG) for ST and SSR post--TENS. Transcutaneous

electrical nerve stimulation inhibits sympathetic nerve activity in

healthy humans. | PMID: 15008021 [PubMed - in process]

 

Thorp JA, Murphy-Dellos L. | Epidural and other labor

analgesic methods. | Drugs Today (Barc). 1998 Jun;34(6):525-

36. | Associate Director, Saint Luke's Perinatal Center, Kansas

City and Associate Professor, University of Missouri at Kansas

City, USA. | This article focuses on methods of pain relief during

labor, reviewing the current state of the art including risks and

benefits. Regional techniques such as epidural or combined

spinal/epidural techniques are discussed. A limited review of the

effects of epidural analgesia on labor and delivery is presented.

Other pharmacologic methods for labor pain relief are discussed

including intravenous narcotics, paracervical block and

inhalational analgesia. The following nonpharmacologic methods

are also discussed: hypnosis, supportive care, transcutaneous

electronic nerve stimulation (TENS), AP/acupressure,

subcutaneous water blocks and hydrotherapy. © 1998 Prous

Science. All rights reserved. | PMID: 15010713 [PubMed - in

process]

 

Weier KM, Beal MW. | Complementary therapies as adjuncts

in the treatment of postpartum depression. | J Midwifery

Womens Health. 2004 Mar-Apr;49(2):96-104. | | Postpartum

depression affects an estimated 13% of women who have

recently given birth. This article discusses several alternative or

complementary therapies that may serve as adjuncts in the

treatment of postpartum depression. The intent is to help

practitioners better understand the treatments that are available

that their clients may be using. Complementary modalities

discussed include herbal medicine, dietary supplements,

massage, aromatherapy, and AP. Evidence supporting the use of

these modalities is reviewed where available, and a list of

resources is given in the appendix. | PMID: 15010661 [PubMed

- in process]

 

 

 

 

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