Effectivenss of electroacupuncture for skeletal muscle pain in Parkinson's disease: a Clinical randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of electroacupuncture on skeletal muscle pain in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted with sixty patients with Parkinson's disease with skeletal muscle pain were randomly divided into electroacupuncture group and sham acupuncture control group with 30 patients each. The electric acupuncture group was treated with electric acupuncture, while the control group was treated with Park needle pseudoacupuncture. Both groups were treated 5 times a week for a total of 4 weeks, and both groups completed 20 treatments. King's Parkinson's Pain Scale (KPPS) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used before and after treatment to evaluate the pain degree of patients. Real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) and modified Ashworth score (MAS) were used to evaluate the changes of muscle tone. Parkinson's comprehensive Score Scale (MDS-UPDRS, including UPDRSⅡ and UPDRS Ⅲ) was used to evaluate exercise ability. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score was used to evaluate the emotional changes of patients. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between pain degree and muscle tone, exercise ability and emotion. RESULTS: During the study, one case fell off in the control group, and 30 cases were eventually included in the analysis and treatment group and 29 cases in the control group. After treatment, Young's modulus of biceps and quadriceps and shear wave velocity of biceps were decreased in electroacupuncture group compared with before treatment, while KPPS score, VAS score, UPDRSⅡ, UPDRS Ⅲ and modified Ashworth score were decreased, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). There was no statistical significance in control group (P > 0.05). After treatment, KPPS score, VAS score, UPDRSⅡ and UPDRS Ⅲ, MAS, HAMD score, Young's modulus of biceps and shear wave velocity in electroacupuncture group were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that KPPS score was positively correlated with UPDRS Ⅲ (r = 0.414, P < 0.05). KPPS score was positively correlated with HAMD score (r = 0.576, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture therapy can effectively improve skeletal muscle pain in patients with Parkinson's disease, reduce the muscle hardness of patients, improve patients' daily life ability, and improve patients' emotional disorders. The degree of skeletal muscle pain in PD patients is correlated with motor ability and emotional disorders, but there is no significant correlation between the degree of skeletal muscle pain and the muscle tone of PD patients.

Elderly Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension Treated Mainly with Fire Needling on Governor Vessel （督 脉）：A Case Report / 中医杂志

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension （nOH） is a common neurodegenerative disease， and is usually differentiated as kidney-yang depletion syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Fire needling on governor vessel （督脉） acupoints as well as Shenshu （BL 23） and Zhishi （BL 52） can dredge the qi and blood of governor vessel， so as to warm yang and unblock the channels， supplement essence and boost marrow. A case of elderly nOH treated by fire needling mainly at governor vessel points， Shenshu （BL 23） and Zhishi （BL 52） was reported. After nearly two months of treatment， the patient's orthostatic blood pressure difference and yang deficiency-related symptoms were significantly improved， and the results of blood pressure monitoring， TCM syndrome scale evaluation and Shenshu （BL 23） area infrared imager detection all showed definite clinical effect.

Acupoint injection of BMSCs combined with Chinese herbs for capillary density in ischemic hind limb of diabetes mellitus rats / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupoint injection of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) combined with Chinese herbs of benefiting for activating blood circulation for capillary density and arterioles density in skeletal muscle in ischemic hind limb of diabetes mellitus (DM) rats.@*METHODS@#A total of 80 rats were randomized into a normal sham operation group (10 rats) and a model group (70 rats). Disposable intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50.0 mg/kg) was used to establish DM model, and the rats in the model group were randomized into 7 subgroups, 10 rats in each one. The subgroups were the DM sham operation group, DM ischemic group, Chinese herb group (intragastric herbs of benefiting for activating blood circulation), local injection group (BMSCs local injection), local injection + Chinese herb group (BMSCs local injection combined with intragastric herbs of benefiting for activating blood circulation), acupoint injection group (BMSCs acupoint injection), acupoint injection + Chinese herb group (BMSCs acupoint injection combined with intragastric herbs of benefiting for activating blood circulation). The local injection was phosphate buffer (PBS) injection at the equidistant 5 points along the line between the ischemic tissue and the normal tissue a time. The acupoints were "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), "Zhaohai" (KI 6), "Huantiao" (GB 30), "Housanli" (ST 36) and "Yanglingquan" (GB 34). 100 μL BMSCs with 1×10/mL was totally injected at the above acupoints for one rat, 20 μL an acupoint. 1.5 kg/L Chinese herbs were applied by intragastric administration, including 120 g Radix Astragali, 120 g Codonopsis, 48 g Radix Glycyrrhiza, 120 g Angelica sinensis, 120 g Blood Rattan, 48 g Achyranthes bidentata. Intragastric distilled water was used in the other non-Chinese herb groups. The expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-actin), latelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CD31) and von willebrand factor (vWF) in the skeletal muscle were detected with immunohistochemical SP two-step method.@*RESULTS@#Twenty-one days after intervention, the expressions of α-actin and CD31 on the operation hind limb were higher than those on the healthy hind limb in all the groups, except the Chinese herb group (<0.05<0.01). The vWF expressions on the operation side were lower than those on the healthy side in the Chinese herb group, the local injection group, the local injection + Chinese herb group and the acupoint injection + Chinese herb group (<0.05, <0.01). The α-actin expression on the operation side in the acupoint injection + Chinese herb group was higher than those in the normal sham operation group, DM sham operation group, the DM ischemic group and the local injection group (<0.05, <0.01). The CD31 expressions in the acupoint injection group, the acupoint injection + Chinese herb group, local injection + Chinese herb group were higher than those in the normal sham operation group, DM sham operation group and DM ischemic group (<0.05, <0.01). The CD31 expression in the acupoint injection + Chinese herb group was higher than those in the Chinese herb group and the local injection group (both <0.05). The vWF expressions in the local injection + Chinese herb group, the acupoint injection group and the acupoint injection + Chinese herb group lower than those in the DM sham operation group and the DM ischemic group (<0.05, <0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#schemia increases the expressions of the vascular density related factors of α-actin and CD31. It is more obvious for the increasing expressions of α-actin and CD31, and decreasing expression of vWF with the interventions of simple BMSCs injection and simple Chinese herbs of benefiting for activating blood circulation, especially with the combination of the above tow methods. It is indicated that acupoint injection of BMSCs combined with Chinese herbs of benefiting for activating blood circulation can improve the angiogenesis of ischemic tissue.

Professor's experience of acupuncture for migraine based on different stages and types / 中国针灸

By using the methods of experience summary and case report, professor's clinical experience of acupuncture for migraine was summarized.Professorproposed the different acupuncture plans should be established according to the active stage and remission stage of migraine; in the active stage acupuncture should be applied at gallbladder meridian with penetration needling technique to reinforce the stimulation intensity; in the remission stage the aim was to regulateand back-points should be emphasized.In addition, attention should be paid on acupuncture technique and preventive treatment.For menstruation-type and psychological disorder-type migraine, different acupuncture plans should be adopted and regulating meridian and spirit was essential in the treatment.