Far-infrared stimulation of Neiguan acupoints improves heart rate variability and ameliorate fatigue in hemodialysis patients: A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, 84 615 patients in Taiwan received hemodialysis, of which about 62% to 97% suffered from fatigue. Fatigue caused by hemodialysis may be mental or physical. However, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether far-infrared stimulation of the Neiguan acupoint (P6) could effectively reduce fatigue and improve heart rate variability (HRV) in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: We conducted a two-arm, randomized trial in a hemodialysis center between March 2015 and March 2016. A total of 73 hemodialysis patients were included and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 37) and a control group (n = 36). The experimental group received far-infrared radiation on Neiguan acupoint during hemodialysis for 12 weeks. The outcomes were fatigue level and HRV. RESULTS: All patients showed moderate fatigue ( M = 26.00 ± 13.01, range = 0-78) at baseline. Far-infrared stimulation on Neiguan acupoint significantly reduced overall fatigue ( ß = 24, p < 0.001) and improved HRV ( ß = 74.36, p < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the experiment group had significantly reduced fatigue levels in all aspects such as reduced energy and motivation ( ß = -2.97, p < 0.001), reduced physical strength ( ß = -1.28, p < 0.01), reduced mental capability ( ß = -2.38, p < 0.001), reduction in daily activities ( ß = -1.48, p < 0.01), depressed mood and loss of control ( ß = -1.21, p < 0.05) as well as increased autonomous nervous system activity ( ß = 14.71, p < 0.01) in the third month of stimulation. CONCLUSION: Far-infrared stimulation of the Neiguan acupoints effectively reduces fatigue and increases autonomic nervous system activity in hemodialysis patients.

Moxibustion for Managing Postoperative Urinary Retention After Hemorrhoidectomy and Anorectal Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PURPOSE: Common surgical procedures for conditions affecting the anus and rectum such as hemorrhoidectomy are associated with high risks of postoperative urinary retention (POUR). Little is known about the efficacy of moxibustion in managing POUR after such surgical procedures. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to review the related literature and synthesize data on the effectiveness of moxibustion in managing POUR after common anorectal surgeries. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP information, and Wanfang databases were searched to October 1, 2021 using the keywords urinary retention, moxibustion, and moxa. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating patients who had developed POUR after hemorrhoidectomy or other anorectal surgeries were eligible for inclusion. Patients receiving moxibustion formed the intervention group and the control group received usual care alone. Primary outcomes were markedly effective rate, defined as spontaneous voiding with complete symptom relief within 30 to 60 minutes after treatment; and total effective rate (ie, markedly effective rate plus effective rate, defined as spontaneous voiding with partial relief of symptoms within 60 minutes to 4 hours after treatment). Secondary outcome was time to first urination after treatment. FINDINGS: Thirty-four RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Pooled analysis revealed that the markedly effective rate was significantly higher in the moxibustion group than that in the control group (pooled RR = 2.53, 95% CI = 2.17-2.95), and the total effective rate in the moxibustion group was also higher than that in the control group (pooled RR = 5.02, 95% CI = 4.01-6.28). The intervention group had significantly shorter times to first urination than controls (pooled effect = -2.81, 95% CI = -2.06 to -3.56). CONCLUSIONS: Moxibustion appears superior to usual care in relieving POUR after common anorectal surgeries. Future studies are still warranted to confirm these findings.

Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Establishment of an Association Model between Metabolic Syndrome, TCM Constitution, and the Guidance of Medicated Diet Care.

BACKGROUND: This study conducted exploratory research using artificial intelligence methods. The main purpose of this study is to establish an association model between metabolic syndrome and the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) constitution using the characteristics of individual physical examination data and to provide guidance for medicated diet care. METHODS: Basic demographic and laboratory data were collected from a regional hospital health examination database in northern Taiwan, and artificial intelligence algorithms, such as logistic regression, Bayesian network, and decision tree, were used to analyze and construct the association model between metabolic syndrome and the TCM constitution. Findings. It was found that the phlegm-dampness constitution (90.6%) accounts for the majority of TCM constitution classifications with a high risk of metabolic syndrome, and high cholesterol, blood glucose, and waist circumference were statistically significantly correlated with the phlegm-dampness constitution. This study also found that the age of patients with metabolic syndrome has been advanced, and shift work is one of the risk indicators. Therefore, based on the association model between metabolic syndrome and TCM constitution, in the future, metabolic syndrome can be predicted through the syndrome differentiation of the TCM constitution, and relevant medicated diet care schemes can be recommended for improvement. CONCLUSION: In order to increase the public's knowledge and methods for mitigating metabolic syndrome, in the future, nursing staff can provide nonprescription medicated diet-related nursing guidance information via the prediction and assessment of the TCM constitution.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation through acupoints of Pucan (BL 61) and Shenmai (BL 62) on intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) through acupoints on the intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma. METHODS: A single-blinded, randomized experimental design study was conducted. Patients from the North of Taipei Ophthalmology outpatient department diagnosed with intraocular hypertension were selected and were further enrolled if they met the research subject criteria. The patients who met all criteria, and who met no exclusion criteria became the participants. Participants were randomly assigned into the treated group, wherein the TENS electrodes (Qing Ming Medical Device Co., Ltd., New Taipei City, China) were applied with direct current (DC) on the acupoints Pucan (BL 61) and Shenmai (BL 62) for 20 min. The control group received no TENS electrode treatments. Measurements of IOP were taken four times using a pneumotonometer (Clinico Co., Ltd., New Taipei City, China), before, immediately after, 30 min after, and 60 min after TENS electrode treatments. RESULTS: Eighty-two participants completed the experiment. IOP decreased more in the group treated with DC (P < 0.01) than in the control group. The IOPs were not affected by the age of the patients and their usage of medications. CONCLUSION: TENS of acupoints of Pucan (BL 61) and Shenmai (BL 62) could significantly reduce the IOP in patients with glaucoma.

Correlation of electrical conductance in meridian and autonomic nervous activity after auricular acupressure in middle-aged women.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the correlation of heart rate variability (HRV) and meridian electrical conductance among middle-aged women during an 8-week period of auricular acupressure (AA) treatment for weight reduction. METHODS: Sixty (60) subjects were randomized either to a control group (n=30) or to a treatment group with AA (n=30). Anthropometric parameters, HRV indices, and meridian levels were measured before treatment, at the 5th week, and 1 week after the 8-week treatment period. RESULTS: Although no significant changes were observed in body weight (BW) and body-mass index (BMI) from baseline to 1 week after AA treatment, a significant decrease in Waist Circumference (WC) was observed in the acupressure group. In contrast, the subjects' BW, BMI, and WC were significantly increased from baseline to the 9th week in the control group. With adjustment for baseline low frequencies (LF) of HRV, the LF at the 5th and 9th weeks in the acupressure groups was generally lower than that in the control group, with a p-value=0.027 using the mixed linear model. The meridian levels for Spleen, Bladder, and Gallbladder were significantly lower in the group subjected to acupressure than in the control group at the 5th week. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that AA tends to inactivate the sympathetic nervous activity demonstrated by both HRV and meridian electrical conductance changes. As a result, AA may modulate the autonomic nervous system to exert its physiological effect through the pathway of the meridian system.

Oral Administration of MBG to Modulate Immune Responses and Suppress OVA-Sensitized Allergy in a Murine Model.

Recently studies performed on mushroom isolated polysaccharides demonstrated that ß -(1,3)-glucan may affect the balance of Th1/Th2 cell response. Using ovalbumin (OVA) as a hypersensitivity inducer, we evaluated the ability of mushroom beta-glucan (MBG) in modulating Th1/Th2 cell responses in B6 mice. As compared to the control group, administration of MBG resulted in an increase of phagocytic activities, Th1 cytokine productions, immunoglobulins including IgG2A and IgA, and a significant expression of the splenic surface markers including CD3, CD4, CD8, and F4/80. In contrast, administration of MBG has significantly suppressed IgE and IgG1 levels and Th2 cytokines including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6. Histopathological observation of MBG-treated followed by OVA-treated mice showed less filtration of eosinophil in pulmonary tissue sections. Our data suggested that administration of MBG treatments alters the natural course of the IgE-mediated hypersensitivities. In this investigation, we realize the mushroom beta glucan alter the Th2 response toward the Th1 in the allergic, resulting in a reduction in IgE productions which played a substantive role in reducing the severity of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity.

Acupuncture or Acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) Acupoint for the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture or acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoint in relieving pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea. We searched the scientific literature databases to identify randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score. Three acupuncture and four acupressure trials were included in the meta-analyses. For the acupuncture analysis, there was no difference in the mean VAS score reduction between the SP6 acupoint and control (GB39 acupoint) groups (-4.935; lower limit = -15.757, upper limit = 5.887; P = 0.371). For the acupressure analysis, there was a significant difference in the mean VAS score after intervention between the SP6 acupoint and control (rest/light touch at SP6/nonacupoint acupressure) groups, favoring the SP6 acupoint group (-1.011; lower limit = -1.622, upper limit = -0.400; P = 0.001). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated good reliability of the meta-analyses findings. These findings suggest that acupuncture at SP6 is not more effective than acupuncture at an unrelated acupoint in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. Acupressure at SP6 may be effective in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. High-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Effect of yoga on serum homocysteine and nitric oxide levels in adolescent women with and without dysmenorrhea.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study is to explore the effect of yoga on the serum levels of homocysteine and nitric oxide (NO) in a cohort of women with primary dysmenorrhea and normal healthy controls. METHODS: A prospective controlled trial was conducted in 35 women with primary dysmenorrhea and 35 healthy controls in a community-based study. Short-form Menstrual Distress Questionnaires (MDQs) were administered to assess the menstrual symptoms. All participants were provided yoga intervention, twice a week at 30 minutes/session, consecutively for 8 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each woman on the third day of the menstrual cycle. Assessments of MDQs and blood samples for the determination of homocysteine and NO concentrations were performed at baseline and within the first 3 days of their next menses after completion of yoga intervention. RESULTS: A total of 30 women from the dysmenorrheal group and 30 from the control group completed the study. Homocysteine levels were higher in those with dysmenorrhea when compared with healthy controls before yoga intervention (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.05); however, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups after 8 weeks of yoga training (p<0.05). The concentrations of homocysteine in both the dysmenorrheal and control groups after 8 weeks decreased by 51.37% and 46.46%, respectively (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in NO levels between the two groups at baseline and after intervention. The total scores on the MDQs decreased significantly after yoga intervention in the dysmenorrheal group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yoga intervention was found to be associated with reductions in severity of dysmenorrhea and may be effective in lowering serum homocysteine levels after an intervention period of 8 weeks. These observations suggest that yoga may have therapeutic effects in women by restoring endothelial function.

The analgesic effect of thermal therapy after total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVES: Pain induced by surgery is a dynamic symptom, which may be quite variable even in the same surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect of far infrared rays on the patients during the postoperative period of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The selection and application of analgesic methods after the orthopedic surgery are therefore valuable for advanced studies. DESIGN: The quasi-experimental design with a total five consecutive days of far infrared ray (FIR) thermal therapy was employed in this study. SUBJECTS: The study involved 41 participants assigned by register code entry on computer to either the intervention or the control group. INTERVENTION: The FIR pads were applied on the acupoints of ST37 (Shang Chu Hsu), ST38 (Tiao Kou), ST39 (Hsia Chu Hsu), and ST40 (Feng Lung) of the patients involved in the experimental group from the third day to the fifth day after the TKA. OUTCOME MEASURES: The analgesic effect was evaluated via the pain intensity of the numeric rating scale (NRS) level and serum concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and endothelin-1 (ET-1). RESULTS: The FIR showed that the significant effects are on relieving pain and lowering the levels of IL-6 and ET-1. The results cannot only be the reference for the postoperative pain relief of TKA, but it can also be the database of another clinical application. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the FIR can lower the NRS of pain and thus reduce the discomfort experienced by the patient. Findings indicated that effective application of FIR decreased the serum level of IL-6 and ET-1, which represent the subjective indicator of pain.

Local thermal therapy effects on menopausal symptoms and bone mineral density.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of local thermal therapy with far-infrared rays (FIR) on menopausal symptoms and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized, controlled trial was conducted in female volunteers from communities in Northern Taiwan. The intervention group (n=22) received local thermal therapy with the help of FIR from an FIR emitter, for approximately 20 minutes per day, twice a week, for 20 sessions. They received the therapy on their backs while lying in a supine position. The control group (n=21) received no treatment. The primary outcome was the change in the Perceived Perimenopausal Disturbances Scale, designed for the measurement of menopause-related symptoms (MRS) before and after completion of treatment in a 10-week period. Secondary outcome parameters included serum levels of estradiol (E2) with osteocalcin (OC), and calcaneal BMD by quantitative ultrasound. RESULTS: After 10 weeks of intervention, MRS determined by the scale decreased in mean total scores and mean scores for vasomotor, musculoskeletal, urologic, reproductive, and psychologic domains (p<0.05), except for reproductive (sexuality-related) symptoms. In the control group, mean total scores and scores of each domain had no significant difference between baseline and follow-up examination after 10 weeks. There was no significant difference between the quantitative ultrasound parameters in the calcaneus, serum E2, and OC levels either at the baseline or in the changes from the baseline between the intervention and control groups of women (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Local thermal therapy with FIR results in a significant reduction of MRS in postmenopausal women. Serum E2, OC levels, and calcaneal BMD showed no significant changes between the two groups. These results suggest that FIR local thermal therapy may be a potential alternative for the management of postmenopausal symptoms.

Thermal therapy in dialysis patients - a randomized trial.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of far-infrared (FIR) rays on the meridian in hemodialysis (HD) patients. End-stage renal disease or kidney failure is the last stage of chronic renal failure, and often implies that the renal function cannot be restored and HD or kidney transplantation is required as a life-saving measure. HD patients often feel sick, debilitated, demotivated, and sad. A quasi-experimental design was conducted using convenience sampling with 61 HD patients from a hemodialysis center. Meridian testing and Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwan Form (BFI-T) were used as screening test for HD. The experimental group (n = 36) received FIR irradiation on each acupoint for 30 min, thrice a week, for two months, whereas the control group (n = 25) received no intervention. The outcome measures included meridian equipment, the level of hemoglobin (Hb), albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CRE), and BFI-T. Ryodoraku values reveal a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the left small intestine meridian, left large intestine meridian, and yin-yang ratio. Overall, the increase in the meridians of the patients of experimental group is significantly higher than that of the control group. The results establish that FIR treatment on Qihai (RN 6), Guanyuan (RN 4), Zhongji (RN 3), and Tianshu (ST 25) is effective. Based on these findings, one can believe that FIR regulates the Qi of the kidney. The findings of this study would help doctors effectively dealing with thermal therapy treatment of HD patients.

Joint preventive effects of swimming and Shenlian extract on rat atherosclerosis.

This work is to investigate the joint effect of extract from Shenlian (SL, the Chinese abbreviation for Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae and Andrographis paniculata) and swimming on atherosclerosis prevention and treatment. Atherosclerotic rat model was established by combining low shear stress by partial ligation of common carotid artery with afterwards feeding of a hyperlipotic diet. Sprague-Dawley rats after partial ligation of common carotid artery were allotted to a 3 × 3 factorial design with three levels of swimming (0, 1, and 2 hr per day) and three levels of SL extract (0, 2.56, and 5.12 g/kg once daily p.o.) for a total of 9 treatment groups. Then, the feeding of the hyperlipotic diet and the intervention of swimming and SL started at the same time, and lasted for 8 weeks. By the end, blood samples were collected to determine blood viscosity, hematocrit, blood lipids, MCP-1, NF-κB and NO levels. The common carotid arteries of the rats were harvested to investigate pathological changes. The animal model showed early sign of atherosclerosis according to the pathological findings. Joint effects of SL extract and swimming on preventing atherosclerosis appeared significantly: The combination of 1 hour swimming with 2.56 g/kg SL extract showed to be effective for lowering hematocrit, blood viscosity (at 10 s(-1) and 200 s(-1)) and low-density-lipoprotein (p < 0.001). Combined treatment of 2.56 g/kg SL extract with 2 hr swimming led to a synergistic decrease in serum level of MCP-1. As a single factor, SL extract (2.56 g/kg) alone could decrease serum levels of NF-κB significantly (p = 0.003). Swimming alone could decrease cholesterol, triacylglycerols level and increase high-density-lipoprotein. The study demonstrates the combined therapy of oral SL extract with swimming on inhibiting inflammatory factors, improving hemorheological parameters and lipoproteins in rat model of atherosclerosis. It highlights the promising effects of the drugs and shear stress of blood flow, the biomechenopharmacological means, for prevention of atherosclerosis.

Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of acupoints changes body composition and heart rate variability in postmenopausal women with obesity.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulations (TEAS) on body composition and heart rate variability (HRV) in postmenopausal women with obesity. In this prospective study, 49 postmenopausal women were recruited in Taiwan. Body composition was used as a screening test for obesity (percentage body fat > 30%, waist circumference > 80 cm). The experimental group (n = 24) received TEAS treatment 30 min twice per week for 12 weeks at the Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) acupoints. The control group (n = 25) did not receive any intervention. The study of HRV was analyzed by time (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN) and square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD) indices) and frequency domain methods. Power spectral components were obtained at low (LF) and high (HF) frequencies. Body composition and HRV values were measured at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. A total of 40 subjects completed this study. Waist circumference and percentage body fat in the experimental group (n = 20) were significantly less than those of the control group (n = 20) at the 8th and 12th weeks (all P < .05). Additionally, at the same time points, percentage lean body mass in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group (P < .05). SDNN values increased significantly at the 4th and 8th weeks when compared with the control group (all P < .05). At 12 weeks, SDNN value was not significantly different from that of the control group (P = .105). TEAS treatment improves body composition, and has a transient effect on the HRV in postmenopausal women with obesity.

Electrical acupoint stimulation changes body composition and the meridian systems in postmenopausal women with obesity.

This study evaluates the effects of electrical stimulation on body composition and the meridian system in postmenopausal women with obesity. Forty-one postmenopausal women were recruited in Taiwan. The body composition was used as a screening test for obesity (percentage of body fat: > 30%, waist circumference: > 80 cm). The experimental group (EG, n = 20) received modulated middle-frequency electrical stimulation treatment for 20 min twice a week for 12 consecutive weeks at the Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints. The control group (CG, n = 21) did not receive any intervention. The measurements of body composition and the meridian system were recorded for both groups in the pre- and post-study. The results showed that the data of body composition (weight, waist and hip circumference, percentage of body fat, and percentage of lean muscle mass) changed considerably in the EG (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed in the CG. The left triple burner meridian changed notably in both EG and CG throughout the study (p < 0.05), however there was no difference between the two groups in the overall mean value, up-down ratio, qi and blood ratio, and yin-yang ratio. Our findings suggest that modulated middle-frequency electrical stimulation could help to improve body composition in postmenopausal women with obesity, potentially providing them with better care and health by integrating Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

The effect on serotonin and MDA levels in depressed patients with insomnia when far-infrared rays are applied to acupoints.

Little is known about the effect of far-infrared rays (FIR) on serotonin and malondialdehyde levels in depressed patients with insomnia. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of far-infrared rays on depressed people with insomnia. A randomized design was used to determine this effect. A total of 70 inpatients were recruited with the clinical diagnosis of depression with sleep disturbance. In the experimental group, FIR was applied to three chosen acupuncture points by a patch-like sticker for a period of 15 minutes twice a week. The three acupuncture points are Nei-Kuan (PC6), Shenmen (HT7) and Sanyinjiao (SP6). The total duration of experiment was four weeks. For both experimental and control groups, serum levels of serotonin (5HT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were examined before and after the introduction of FIR. The experimental group revealed disparate changes over different dependent variables, in which serotonin increased but MDA decreased after the introduction of FIR. These observations indicate that the serotonin pathway is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism responsible for the damaging effects of MDA on depressed patients with insomnia.

Effects of thermal therapy on uremic pruritus and biochemical parameters in patients having haemodialysis.

TITLE: Effects of thermal therapy on uremic pruritus and biochemical parameters in patients having haemodialysis. AIM: This paper is a report of a trial to identify the effect of thermal therapy with far-infrared rays in comparison with non-thermal therapy on uremic pruritus and biochemical parameters. BACKGROUND: Uremic pruritus remains one of the most frustrating, common, and potentially disabling symptoms in patients undergoing haemodialysis. The mechanism underlying uremic pruritus is poorly understood. Although enough is known to determine a reasonable treatment approach, more research is needed to evaluate more reliable treatments. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted in 2005 using questionnaires and measurement of blood biochemical parameters. A total of 41 uremic patients on maintenance haemodialysis were randomly assigned either to the thermal therapy group or the control group. The thermal therapy group was treated with 40 degrees C thermal therapy with far-infrared rays at the Sanyinjiao acupoint for 15 minutes once a day on two days a week for a total of 18 sessions. The control group received a plain adhesive patch placed on the same acupoint. FINDINGS: Both groups showed statistically significant improvements but there were no differences between groups, while a relatively large decrease in pruritus scores was found in the thermal therapy group (P < 0.001) as compared with the non-thermal therapy group. Serum calcium level decreased statistically significantly in the thermal therapy group and was statistically significantly different from that of the control group. CONCLUSION: The lack of effect does not necessarily demonstrate that thermal therapy is not effective or has no therapeutic benefits for uremic pruritus in patients having haemodialysis. Further investigation is warranted, with larger samples and longer intervention.

Effects of far infrared acupoint stimulation on autonomic activity and quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Patients receiving regular hemodialysis sessions have been known to suffer from fatigue and depression. This experiment was designed to determine the effects of far infrared ray (FIR) stimulation on acupoints of patients suffering from renal failure who are receiving regular hemodialysis. Patients receiving long-term and regular hemodialysis who volunteered for this procedure were randomly selected to undergo either FIR or heat pad (HP) therapy to determine the impact of FIR treatment on these patients. Both the activities of the autonomic nervous system and changes in quality of life were measured before and after treatment to determine the effectiveness of the FIR treatment. Results from this study show that FIR therapy decreases both stress and fatigue levels of these patients. It also stimulates autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in patients who are diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and are receiving regular hemodialysis (HD). Therefore, benefits of FIR stimulation on these patients are clearly demonstrated in this preliminary study.

Effects of auricular acupressure on menstrual symptoms and nitric oxide for women with primary dysmenorrhea.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure on relieving menstrual symptoms and decreasing nitric oxide (NO) for women with primary dysmenorrhea. DESIGN: This was a randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method and placebo adhesive patch. SETTING: Settings included colleges in northern and central Taiwan. SUBJECTS: Serum CA-125 testing was used as a screening test for primary dysmenorrhea (<35 mg/dL). The study included 36 college females randomized to acupressure group, 35 to control group. INTERVENTIONS: The acupressure group received auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method on liver (CO12), kidney (CO10), and endocrine (CO18) acupoints. The control group had a plain adhesive patch placed on the same acupoints with no seed attached. Acupressure protocol included massaging 15 times on each acupoint, 3 times a day, for a total of 20 days. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary: Short-form Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQs). Secondary: blood sample of NO. Assessments of MDQs and NO were performed at baseline and within the first 2 days of their next menses (after completion of 20 days of acupressure). RESULTS: In the acupressure group, the overall menstrual symptoms (95% confidence interval [CI] = -49.8 to -6.5, effect size [ES] = 0.43, p = 0.01) and two subscales, menstrual pain (95% CI = -16.4 -to -2.2, ES = 0.45, p = 0.01) and negative affects (95% CI = -11.9-2.0, ES = 0.38, p = 0.04), revealed that menstrual symptoms decreased significantly after auricular acupressure by the seed-pressure method. The ES for the MDQs were in favor of the auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method. NO level increased in the acupressure group, although this difference did not achieve statistical significance (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the effects of auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method in improving menstrual symptoms, and offers a noninvasive complementary therapy for women with primary dysmenorrhea.

Effects of Baduanjin exercise on oxidative stress and antioxidant status and improving quality of life among middle-aged women.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Baduanjin exercise on oxidative stress, antioxidant status and quality of life in middle-aged women. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Subjects were 31 middle-aged women. Subjects completed a supervised and standardized Baduanjin exercise program 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was measured and determined by using a spectrophotometer for oxidative stress. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) was measured for the antioxidant status. A 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to evaluate changes in quality of life. All outcome measures were collected before intervention and at the end of a 12-week intervention. The results suggest that there are significant differences in serum SOD level with Baduanjin exercise. SOD level was significantly increased after exercise (p < 0.05). Baduanjin exercise contributed significantly to antioxidant status on these samples. However, a reduction in MDA level was observed. The t-test value was 2.03 with a p-value of 0.052. The changes may be meaningful at a 5% level. There are significant improvements in quality of life after the exercise program. Subjects had greater improvements in 4 dimensions of SF-36, namely physical function, body pain, social function and general mental health (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Baduanjin exercise has beneficial effects on improving quality of life, increasing antioxidant enzymes and reducing oxidative stress in middle-aged women. Reduction of MDA level may be more attributable to the increase in the antioxidant enzyme SOD.