Treatment effect and mechanism of Fu's subcutaneous needling among patients with shoulder pain: A retrospective pilot study.

Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN) is a new acupuncture therapy developed from acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine models. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of FSN on shoulder pain. In this retrospective comparative study, patient case files with shoulder pain (Group A) treated with FSN were analyzed and compared with the same number of patients with shoulder pain (Group B) treated with conventional acupuncture and physical therapy. Motion-related pain (MRP), pain under pressure (PUP), and Range of motion (ROM) were collected before and after intervention. In the 68 patients, there were 39 males and 29 females, aged 21-53 years old (mean ± SD = 36.4 ± 8.15) with onset time ranging from 1 day to 7 days (mean ± SD = 3.15 ± 1.73). MRP, PUP, and ROM scores were improved after FSN intervention (p < .05). There were significant differences between group A and group B in MRP, PUP, and ROM scores after FSN intervention and 1 week follow-up (p < .05). No adverse events, such as fainting and sharp pain, occurred during the treatment process. FSN can be an effective rehabilitation intervention for improving shoulder pain and shoulder range of motion.

Quinone oxidoreductase 1 is overexpressed in gastric cancer and associated with outcome of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival.

BACKGROUND: Quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) plays a vital role in protecting normal cells against oxidative damage and electrophilic attack. It is highly expressed in many solid tumors, suggesting a role in cancer development and progression. However, the role of NQO1 in gastric cancer and its effect on cancer development and prognosis have not been fully investigated. AIM: To investigate the clinical relevance of NQO1 protein expression in gastric cancer and to explore the potential of NQO1 to serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. METHODS: In this retrospective study, gastric cancer specimens of 175 patients who were treated between 1995 and 2011 were subjected to immunohistochemistry analyses for NQO1. The correlation of NQO1 expression with gastric cancer prognosis and clinical and pathological parameters was investigated. RESULTS: NQO1 protein was overexpressed in 59.43% (104/175) of the analyzed samples. Overexpression of NQO1 was associated with a significantly inferior prognosis. In addition, multivariate analysis suggested that NQO1 overexpression, along with tumor stage and patient age, are prominent prognostic biomarkers for gastric cancer. Moreover, NQO1 overexpression was correlated to a better response to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: NQO1 overexpression is associated with a significantly poor prognosis and better response to 5-FU in patients with gastric cancer. These findings are relevant for improving therapeutic approaches for gastric cancer patients.

Effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation on cognitive and motor functions in poststroke patients.

The aim of the study was to explore the effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation on cognitive and motor functions in poststroke patients. All patients were divided into Group A and Group B based on different interventions (Group A: acupuncture + conventional rehabilitation, Group B: conventional rehabilitation alone). Acupuncture was conducted once a day, five times a week for 8 weeks, and rehabilitation (including physical therapy and occupational therapy) was conducted for 2 hr per session, once a day, five times a week for 8 weeks. Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) were used to assess the motor and cognitive functions at baseline and the end of 8 weeks. After the intervention, FMA and MMSE scores were improved significantly in the two groups (p <.05), compared with the scores prior to intervention. After 8 weeks of intervention, a statistically significant difference in the FMA and MMSE scores was observed between the Group A and the Group B. The results suggested that the combined intervention is more effective than the conventional rehabilitation alone in improving cognitive and motor functions in poststroke patients.

Effect of ear-acupoint pressing and Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting on haemorheology in chloasma patients with Gan depression pattern.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutical effect of ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting on haemorheology in chloasma patients with Gan (Liver) depression pattern. METHODS: A total of 180 chloasma patients were randomly assigned to three groups, 60 cases in each. Patients in the earacupuncture (EA) group were treated with ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting; vitamins C and E were put into practice in the Western medicine (WM) group together with 0.025% tretinoin cream for local external application; patients in the placebo group were treated with urea-cream by external use, while 30 healthy volunteers were in the control group. After a treatment course of 2 months, the changes of haemorheology, injury skin area, colour score and symptom score before and after the treatment were observed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference on whole blood reduced viscosity (high shear, medium shear, and low shear), erythrocyte aggregation index, hematocrit, plasma viscosity among the four groups (F =2.65, P>0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the whole blood viscosity (high shear) and whole blood reduced viscosity (high shear) after treatment in the EA group, the WM group and the placebo group were with no statistical significance (P>0.05). The injury skin area and colour score after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment in the EA group and the WM group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in placebo group (P>0.05). Clinical symptoms of the EA group were obviously improved after the 2-month treatment, which was significantly different compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), there was significant difference compared with those of WM group and placebo group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference on haemorheology index between healthy people and chloasma patients without angionosis, cerebrovascular disease, hematopathy, metabolic disease or any other organic disease. Ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting can effectively improve concurrent symptoms, lighten chloasma and lower chloasma area in patients accompanied by Gan depression.

Early application of pulsed electromagnetic field in the treatment of postoperative delayed union of long-bone fractures: a prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) is reported to be an effective adjunct for the management of nonunion long-bone fractures. Most studies implement PEMF treatment after 6 months or longer of delayed union or nonunion following fracture treatment. Despite these variations in treatment, the early application of PEMF following a diagnosis of a postoperative delayed union has not been specifically analyzed. In this study, the outcomes of postoperative delayed union of long-bone fractures treated with an early application of PEMF were evaluated as compared with a sham-treated control group. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized controlled study, a total of 58 long-bone fracture patients, who presented with delayed union of between 16 weeks and 6 months, were randomly split into two groups and subjected to an early application of PEMF or sham treatment. Clinical and radiological assessments were performed to evaluate the healing status. Treatment efficacy was assessed at three month intervals. RESULTS: Patients in the PEMF group showed a higher rate of union than those in the control group after the first three months of treatment, but this difference failed to achieve statistical significance. At the end of the study, PEMF treatment conducted for an average of 4.8 months led to a success rate of 77.4%. This was significantly higher than the control, which had an average duration of 4.4 months and a success rate of 48.1%. The total time from operation to the end of the study was a mean of 9.6 months for patients in the PEMF group. CONCLUSIONS: Fracture patients treated with an early application of PEMF achieved a significantly increased rate of union and an overall reduced suffering time compared with patients that receive PEMF after the 6 months or more of delayed union, as described by others.

Effect of Gan-Pi regulatory needling in treating chloasma.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Gan-Pi regulatory needling (GPRN) in treating chloasma and its influences on female sex hormones, superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid peroxide (LPO) and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH). METHODS: Ninety chloasma patients were equally randomized to three groups, the treatment group treated with GPRN, the control group treated with conventional Western medicine and the blank group untreated. Changes in the scores of skin lesion (area and color) and symptom, as well as blood levels of female sex hormones, MSH, SOD and LPO were observed and compared after 3 months of treatment. RESULTS: In the treatment group, the scores of skin lesion area and color were reduced from 2.76 + or - 0.96 and 2.48 + or - 0.78 before treatment to 1.42 + or - 0.42 and 1.03 + or - 0.41 after treatment, respectively, while in the control group they were from 2.78 + or - 1.06 and 2.53 + or - 0.88 to 1.58 + or - 1.23 and 1.28 + or - 0.96, respectively, all showing significant changes (P<0.05); the scores were insignificantly changed in the blank group (P>0.05). At the same time, the score of symptoms in the treatment group significantly improved after treatment (P<0.05), significantly different from that of the other two groups. Comparison of female sex hormones among groups showed no significant differences either before or after treatment. The level of LPO decreased and SOD increased in both the treatment group and the control group significantly (all P<0.05), but significant lowering of MSH was only seen in the treatment group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: GPRN can effectively lessen the size and lighten the color of chloasma, improve the accompanying symptoms in patients and decrease LPO and MSH levels and increase the SOD level, but will not affect the level of the female sex hormones.

Clinical observation on the treatment of chloasma by Chinese herbs combined with acupuncture.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of Chinese herbs combined with acupuncture (CH-A) in treating chloasma. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with chloasma were randomly assigned to two groups: 30 in the control group and 31 in the treated group. Both groups received conventional treatment with oral intake of vitamin C and E, and external application of quban powder. Besides, the treated group also received CH-A, with the therapeutic course for both groups as 3 months. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the treated group and the control group was 100.00% and 46.67% respectively, and the cure-effective rate was 74.19% and 13.33% respectively, all showing significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). The scores of size and color of skin lesion and that of symptoms decreased in both groups, but the decrease in the treated group was more obvious, showing significant difference compared with those before treatment and also compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). A follow-up study in 1 year to 2 years and 4 months showed that the long-term effect in the treated group showed an increasing trend compared with the effect immediately after treatment, but it showed a decreasing trend in the control group, though with no any statistical significance (both P>0.05). CONCLUSION: On the basis of conventional treatment, combined use of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in treating chloasma could markedly improve the accompanied symptoms, lighten the color and shrink the size of skin lesions.

[Effect of scalp acupuncture drawing method on motor function in hemiplegic patients following cerebral thrombosis at convalescent period].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of scalp-acupuncture drawing method (SADM) on recovering motor function in hemiplegic patients following cerebral thrombosis at convalescent period. METHODS: Adopting randomized, single-blinded, controlled method, 93 patients suffering from hemiplegia following cerebral thrombosis were randomly assigned to 3 groups, 31 in each group. All patients were treated based on neurological routine therapy, those in the treated group and the control group I were treated respectively with SADM and scalp-acupuncture twirling method (SATM) additionally, but for those in the control group II, no additional treatment was given. The treatment course for all was 4 weeks. RESULTS: Before treatment, there were insignificant difference among 3 groups in the score of neural motor function deficits (NFDS) of limbs and activity of daily life (ADL) score (P > 0.05). After being treated for 4 weeks, the NFDS was significantly lower and in the control group II (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) and the change of the scores in the treated group was more than that in the control group I (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SADM was superior to scalp-acupuncture twisting prove the ADL score and motor function of hemiplegia patients following cerebral thrombosis in the convalescent stage.