Effects of Patient-Controlled Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Cancer Induced Bone Pain Relief in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) therapy opens up the possibility for individuals with Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) to receive a home-based, patient-controlled approach to pain management. The aim of this study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of patient-controlled TEAS (PC-TEAS) for relieving CIBP in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods/Design: This is a study protocol for a prospective, triple-blind, randomized controlled trial. We anticipate enrolling 188 participants with NSCLC bone metastases who are also using potent opioid analgesics from 4 Chinese medical centers. These participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the true PC-TEAS or the sham PC-TEAS group. All participants will receive standard adjuvant oncology therapy. The true group will undergo patient-controlled TEAS intervention as needed, while the sham group will follow the same treatment schedule but with non-conductive gel patches. Each treatment course will span 7 days, with a total of 4 courses administered. There will be 4 assessment time points: baseline, the conclusion of weeks 4, 8, and 12. The primary outcome of this investigation is the response rate of the average pain on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) scale at week 4 after treatment. Secondary outcomes include pain related indicators, quality of life scale, mood scales, and routine blood counts on the assessment days. Any adverse events will be promptly addressed and reported if they occur. We will manage trial data using the EDC platform, with a data monitoring committee providing regular quality oversight. Discussion: PC-TEAS interventions offer an attempt to achieve home-based acupuncture treatment and the feasibility of achieving triple blinding in acupuncture research. This study is designed to provide more rigorous trial evidence for the adjuvant treatment of cancer-related pain by acupuncture and to explore a safe and effective integrative medicine scheme for CIBP. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05730972, registered February 16, 2023.

Effect of acupuncture or moxibustion at Acupoints Weizhong (BL40) or Chize (LU5) on the change in lumbar temperature in healthy adults: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a common complaint among adults, and moxibustion and acupuncture are commonly used treatments. In traditional theory, Weizhong (BL40) is a popular acupoint, as supported by the saying "Yao Bei Wei Zhong Qiu." However, the difference in efficacy between acupuncture and moxibustion remains unclear. Therefore, this trial will compare the thermal effects of acupuncture and moxibustion at BL40 and Chize point (LU5) in healthy adults to provide more objective evidence regarding the relationship between the lumbar and BL40. METHOD/DESIGN: The trial will use a two-by-two factorial design, randomly assigning 140 participants to four groups (acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40), acupuncture at Chize (LU5), moxibustion at Weizhong (BL40), and moxibustion at Chize (LU5)) at a ratio of 1:1:1:1. Each group will undergo a 30-minute intervention, with the primary outcome being mean temperature in the lumbar region at the last minute of the intervention period. Secondary outcomes include maximum lumbar temperature in the lumbar region at the last minute of the intervention, average lumbar temperature and average bladder meridian temperature at specific time points during and after the intervention, and scores on the warming sensation questionnaire. Data will be analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first to compare the thermal effect difference in the lumbar area between acupuncture and moxibustion in healthy individuals. The findings of this study will provide new insights for the "Yao Bei Wei Zhong Qiu" theory of traditional Chinese medicine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Trial number: NCT05665426. Registered on 26 December 2022.

[Design and application of auxiliary isolation device of cupping therapy for cross-infection prevention].

An auxiliary isolation device of cupping therapy for cross-infection prevention is designed to reduce the disinfection steps and be against cross transmission. This device is composed of a disposable isolation unit made of fire proof plastic material and a disposable cup-mouth fixator made of elastic material. The disposable isolation unit includes two parts, the cup neck isolation unit and the inner isolation unit of fire cup. These two parts connect with the disposable cup-mouth fixator. All of those three sections of the device are center-connected ring-like structure. This device can well prevent the direct contact of fire cup with the patient's skin surface, characterized as safety protection, simple operation and saving time and manpower.