Acupuncture in posttonsillectomy pain : A prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative swallowing pain is one of the most unpleasant after-effects of tonsillectomy. During recent years, the demand for alternatives to drug-based pain therapy has continued to grow, although the topic has received little research attention until now. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 46 patients were randomized into verum acupuncture, control acupuncture, and drug-based treatment groups. All patients received nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs). One hour after drug intake, the verum group also received acupuncture according to classical acupuncture rules (S34, S44 and PC5). The control group had acupuncture needles placed at nonspecific acupuncture points in the midaxillary line. Acupuncture was performed by a blinded acupuncturist, who had learnt exclusively these techniques in the run up to the study. Patients were asked to evaluate their pain before, and at intervals of 20 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h after drug intake/acupuncture treatment using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: The analgesic effect of acupuncture was significant up to 3 hours in the verum group (p < 0.05). The analgesic effect in the control acupuncture group was significant for up to 1 h after acupuncture (p < 0.05). With reference to the time point before acupuncture, the differences between both acupuncture groups and the drug group were significant (p < 0.01) over the whole time. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is an effective complement to NSAIDs in the treatment of posttonsillectomy pain. Particularly patients with allergies, drug intolerance, or reduced response to the commonly administered drugs may benefit from acupuncture.

[Acupuncture in posttonsillectomy pain : A prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial. German version]. / Einsatz von Akupunktur bei Posttonsillektomieschmerz : Eine prospektive, randomisierte und kontrollierte Doppelblindstudie.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative swallowing pain is one of the most unpleasant after-effects of tonsillectomy. During recent years, the demand for alternatives to drug-based pain therapy has continued to grow, although the topic has received little research attention until now. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 46 patients were randomized into verum acupuncture, control acupuncture, and drug-based treatment groups. All patients received nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs). One hour after drug intake, the verum group also received acupuncture according to classical acupuncture rules (S34, S44 and PC5). The control group had acupuncture needles placed at nonspecific acupuncture points in the midaxillary line. Acupuncture was performed by a blinded acupuncturist, who had learnt exclusively these techniques in the run up to the study. Patients were asked to evaluate their pain before, and at intervals of 20 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h after drug intake/acupuncture treatment using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: The analgesic effect of acupuncture was significant up to 3 hours in the verum group (p < 0.05). The analgesic effect in the control acupuncture group was significant for up to 1 h after acupuncture (p < 0.05). With reference to the time point before acupuncture, the differences between both acupuncture groups and the drug group were significant (p < 0.01) over the whole time. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is an effective complement to NSAIDs in the treatment of posttonsillectomy pain. Particularly patients with allergies, drug intolerance, or reduced response to the commonly administered drugs may benefit from acupuncture.

[Phytomedicine in otorhinolaryngology - evidence-based medicine with medicinal plants]. / Phytomedizin in der der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde - evidenzbasierte Medizin mit Heilpflanzen.

Phytomedicine has become an increasingly important treatment option for patients in the western world. Patients who experienced failure or adverse reactions with conventional western medicine often switch to natural and holistic methods. In eastern countries, with their long history of traditional medicine, patients often resort to herbal preparations as the majority of western medicines are unaffordable. The desire of western physicians for evidence-based medicine also applies in the sector of phytomedicine. A serious perception of natural products in scientific medicine can therefore only be based on data from prospective, controlled, randomized double-blind clinical trials. In order to illuminate the present scientific foundation of effective and reliable phytomedicine, a literature search in PubMed (Medline) was conducted based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The main focus was on the field of otorhinolaryngology. Besides the presentation of selected, reliable studies and the evaluation of the efficacy of various medicinal plants, shortcomings of selected publications are discussed.

[Anticancer activity of Salvia officinalis essential oil against HNSCC cell line (UMSCC1)]. / Krebshemmende Wirkung des ätherischen Salbei-Öls auf eine Plattenepithelzellkarzinom-Zelllinie der Mundhöhle (UMSCC1).

BACKGROUND: Every year there are several hundred thousand new cases of oral cancer worldwide. Clinical oncology is still challenged by toxicity and side effects of multimodal therapy strategies in which is associated with poor prognosis for patients. There is an urgent necessity to develop novel therapy strategies. As the majority of anticancer drugs are of natural origin, natural products represent a valuable source for the identification and development of novel treatment options for cancer. The aim of this investigation was to study the cytotoxicity of Salvia officinalis L. (sage) essential oil. METHODS: Salvia officinalis essential oil was gained by aqueous extraction from plant material and subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography. The cytotoxicity of the essential oil on the squamous human cell carcinoma cell line of the oral cavity (UMSCC1) was assessed with the XTT assay. These experiments revealed the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of the essential oil. It was used in the microarray-based analysis of gene expression of UMSSC1 cells. The results were submitted to a signaling pathway analysis. RESULTS: The main constituents of Salvia officinalis essential oil include the monoterpenes thujone, ß-pinene, and 1,8-cineol. Low concentrations of the essential oil increased vitality of the UMSCC1 cells. Beyond the concentration of the IC(50) of 135 µg/ml, sage essential oil reduced UMSSC1 cells viability to a minimum. In the microarray gene expression analysis, genes involved in cancer, cellular growth and proliferation, cell death, cell morphology, cell cycle, gene expression, and DNA repair were the most prominent. The three most significantly regulated pathways by sage were aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling, cell cycle (G1/S checkpoint) regulation, and p53 signaling. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this study suggests for the first time the ability of Salvia officinalis essential oil to inhibit human HNSCC cell growth. The therapeutic potential of sage essential oil might exceed that of its common use in otorhinolaryngology.