ABSTRACT
The current study involved 70 patients with atopic dermatitis who were treated with herbal medicine at this hospital’s Oriental Medicine department. This study examined a total of 237 prescriptions with Kampo diagnosis used to treat those patients. Patients who no longer needed to use a steroid ointment preparation were defined as “complete responders” and both these patients and patients whose use of a steroid ointment preparation decreased 50% or more from the level prior to use of herbal medicine were defined as “responders.” The complete response rate was the percentage of complete responders and efficacy rate was the percentage of responders. Among all patients, efficacy was 56.3% for unseiin > 50.0% for tokiinshi > 41.0% for Keigairengyoto > others. The complete response rate was 25.0% for unseiin > 16.7% for tokiinshi > 15.8% for shishihakuhito > 13.1% for Keigairengyoto > others. Among patients with “reddish” atopic dermatitis, unseiin had the highest efficacy and resulted in the highest complete response rate, followed by shishihakuhito and then keigairengyoto. Among patients with “wet” atopic dermatitis, unseiin had the highest efficacy and resulted in the highest complete response rate, followed by shofusan. When Kampo diagnosis is equivocal and herbal medicines are urgently needed, unseiin should be the prescription of first choice. Based on the condition of the skin, shofusan, shishihakuhito, or tokiinshi should be the second-best option.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>Introduction </b>: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a constellation of symptoms that occurs 3-10 days before menses, and irritability is the most common mental symptom of PMS.<br> <b>Subjects </b>: Subjects were 52 women who were seen for irritability prior to menses. Thirty of the women received acupuncture (the treatment group) while the remaining 22 women were untreated (the control group).<br><b>Methods </b>: The Stress Response Scale-18 (SRS-18) was used to measure the extent of mental symptoms. The treatment group underwent 1 session of acupuncture per week for a total of 6 sessions (1 round of acupuncture). Mental symptoms were measured in the control group over 4 consecutive menstrual cycles. Patients with a total score on the SRS-18 of 20 to 40 points were identified in the 2 groups, and the SRS-18 scores of these selected patients were compared over consecutive menstrual cycles.<br><b>Results </b>: There was a statistically significant (P = 0.0080) difference between the percent improvement in the SRS-18 score for 17 selected patients from the treatment group and the percent change in that 21 score or 7 selected patients from the control group. There was a statistically significant (P = 0.00025) difference in the SRS-18 scores of the 30 patients in the treatment group before and after acupuncture. Of the 30 patients, 73.3% (22/30) satisfied with the treatment was effective. All mental symptoms of PMS, including irritability, were alleviated an average of 43% in those patients.<br><b>Conclusion </b>: Acupuncture alleviated the mental symptoms of PMS.</p>
ABSTRACT
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition noted in many patients who are seen for menstrual irregularity or infertility in routine practice. The current author previously found that women with PCOS who underwent a unique form of acupuncture, with 1 session taking place each week, had a response rate of about 60%. Subjects of the current study were 3 patients who lacked ovarian follicular development despite 1 acupuncture session per week. In the current study, these patients underwent 2 sessions per week, and the effectiveness of this treatment was examined. When acupuncture was not performed, none of the 3 patients exhibited ovarian follicular development. Two acupuncture sessions per week resulted in ovarian follicular development in 86.7% (13/15 cycles) of all menstrual cycles during which acupuncture was performed. Performing an average of 4-5 acupuncture sessions every 4 days or so was found to result in a mature ovarian follicle on an average of 18.7 days into the menstrual cycle. In this study, acupuncture involved slight insertion of the needles in a pattern. Changing the frequency of sessions from 1 per week to 2 per week resulted in ovarian follicular development within 3 weeks in 3 patients with PCOS, as reported here.
ABSTRACT
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition found in many patients who are seen for menstrual irregularity or irregular vaginal bleeding in routine practice.<br>Subjects were 21 women who were seen on an outpatient basis by this medical center. These women were diagnosed with PCOS and underwent acupuncture. In principle, 6 to 10 sessions of acupuncture were performed, with 1 session taking place each week. After acupuncture concluded, women who did not exhibit ovarian follicular development or ovulation according to ultrasonography and measurements of estradiol and progesterone in blood prior to day 30 of their menstrual cycle were given an oral contraceptive, resulting in withdrawal bleeding. These women then underwent another 4 sessions of acupuncture. Women who did exhibit ovarian follicular development or ovulation prior to day 30 of their menstrual cycle after 10 sessions of acupuncture were deemed to be non-responders. Women who had mature ovarian follicles or ovulated before that time were deemed to be responders.<br>In contrast to women who did not exhibit follicle maturation or ovulation prior to day 30 of their menstrual cycle, 57.14% of women had mature ovarian follicles prior to the 10 sessions of acupuncture. For responders, the average length of time after the onset of menses until ovarian follicle maturation was noted as 20.58 days. An average of 7.92 acupuncture sessions was needed until ovarian follicle maturity or ovulation was noted.<br>The current study found acupuncture to be effective in treating PCOS.