Influence of the quickness and duration of De Qi on the analgesic effect of acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea patients with a cold and dampness stagnation pattern.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the quickness and duration of De Qi (or Qi arrival) on the analgesic effect of acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea patients with a cold and dampness stagnation pattern. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients were randomly assigned to the De Qi group (deep needling with thick needles and manipulation, n = 17) or the non-De Qi group (shallow needling with thin needles and no manipulation, n = 51). Both groups underwent needling at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for 30 min. The visual analogue scale was used to measure the degree of menstrual pain, and the Acupuncture De Qi Clinical Assessment Scale was used to assess De Qi. Only data from patients who experienced actual De Qi were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients experienced actual De Qi. Patients who experienced actual De Qi in the De Qi group (n = 14) felt De Qi more rapidly (P = 0.028) and for a longer duration (P = 0.04) than patients who experienced actual De Qi in the non-De Qi group (n = 25). Both groups showed a reduction in the visual analogue scale score for pain after treatment. The analgesic effect did not significantly differ between the two groups. The occurrence time of De Qi showed a significant negative correlation with pain reduction at 20 and 30 min after needle removal (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between the duration of De Qi and the therapeutic effect. CONCLUSION: In primary dysmenorrhea patients with a cold and dampness stagnation pattern, quicker onset of De Qi when needling Sanyinjiao (SP 6) achieves a better analgesic outcome. However, a longer duration of De Qi does not affect the degree of analgesia. Compared with minimal acupuncture, active acupuncture stimulation achieves a more rapid onset and longer duration of De Qi.

Therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen and swallowing training combined with acupuncture at Fengchi acu-point on dysphagia caused by pseudobulbar paralysis after stroke / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy and swallowing training combined with Fengchi acupoint acupuncture on dysphagia caused by pseudobulbar paralysis after stroke. Methods Seventy-five patients were randomly divided into control group, HBO therapy group, swallow training group, acupuncture group and combined treatment group (n = 15). Patients in all groups were given cerebro-vascular disease routine treatment. In addition, the patients in HBO therapy group, swallowing training group and ac-upuncture group were given HBO therapy, swallowing training and Fengehi (GB20) acupoint acupuncture simultane-ously, respectively. The patients in combined treatment group were given HBO therapy combined with swallowing training and Fengchi acupoint acupuncture. Modified Kubota-Chiari's swallowing functional classification was used to assess swallowing function before and on the 3rd d,6th d,9th d, 12th d, 15th d, 18th d and 21st d after treatment. Results It was shown that the patients in all groups but the control group got significant improvement in swallowing after treatment, as demonstrated by the swallowing function scores (P < 0.05). Moreover, the priority order in im-provement of swallowing function and recovering rate were: combined treatment group > acupuncture group > swal-low training group > HBO therapy group > control group(P < 0.05). Conclusion The combination of HBO ther-apy, swallowing training and Fengchi acupoint acupuncture could act synergically to ameliorate dysphagia caused by pseudobulbar paralysis after stroke.