ABSTRACT
Footbath have long been used for primary health care or for nursing, however, few researches have been reported. We intended to make footbath a safe physiotherapy or care technique in the modern medicine by more profound researches on footbath. The effect of footbath on the gastric motility was studied because footbath may promote recovery from post-surgical gastric paresis. The effects of footbath on the gastric motility and subjective hunger sensation were monitored in 14 healthy adult females (32±6 yeas old). They signed informed consents and took footbaths at 38, 40, 42°C and control footbath (by a footbath machine). The experiments started after permission of the Ethical Committee of International Research Center for Traditional Medicine.<br>They took footbath after 10-min rest in a sitting position. Each footbath was 30 min long, followed by 10-min rest. The same subject participated in the studies four times at the same time of the day before taking lunch (10:00-14:00). These experiments were in a random order four days apart each other except menstruation periods. Their blood pressure, ECG R-R variability and electro-gastrogram (EGG) were monitored. The subjective hunger sensation was asked before, during and after footbath. The autonomic nervous balance was estimated from FFT analysis of the R-R variability. LF (0.04-0.15Hz) and HF (0.15-0.40Hz) components of the R-R variability were calculated. EGG was also analysed by means of FFT to calculate amplitude and frequency. The results showed the amplitude and frequency of EGG increased depending on temperature. However, the correlation between HF power of R-R variability and amplitude of EGG showed negative correlation. Regarding hunger sensation, more cases felt hunger in 38, 40°C than in control. At 42°C, the amplitude and frequency were apparently higher than in other temperatures, while the hungry cases were less than in 38 or 40°C. These discrepancies may be caused by the artifact due to sweating on the abdominal EGG leads, considering high b wave of EEG at 42°C.<br>In conclusion, it was indicated that footbath may promote gastric motility and induce hunger sensation at 38-40°C in healthy volunteers.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the correlations between the TCM syndromes of gastrointestinal dyskinesis and the disorders of gastrointestinal hormone,electrogastrogram(EGG) and blood gas in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(COPD) and cor pulmonale.Methods The 120 cases of COPD and cor pulmonale were diagnosed with TCM syndrome differentiation,and plasma motilin(MOT),vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP),Gastrin(GAS),EGG and blood gas were anglyzed and compared with 26 healthy subjects.Results With the aggravation of COPD and cor pulmonale,the dyskinesis of stomach and intestine was getting worse,developed from Shi-excess to Xu-deficiency.In deficiency syndrome,basic electrorhythm decreased most obviously.In phlegm-damp in lung syndrome,MOT and GAS decreased most obviously.In lung-kidney deficiency syndrome and lung-spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome,VIP increased most obviously.In lung-spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome,anoxia and carbon dioxide retention were most serious but GAS increased.Conclusion All patients of COPD and cor pulmonale have dyskinesis of stomach-intestine to a certain degree,abnormal EGG and disordered gastrointestinal hormones.Severity of ventilatory disturbance,quantity of injured organs,and condition of anoxia due to gastrointestinal blood stasis are all correlated with the development of COPD and cor pulmonale.