Search Results (16)

Background: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are essential in treating infertility but often face limited success due to low implantation and live birth rates. East Asian traditional medicine (EATM), including acupuncture and herbal medicine (HM), may enhance physiological responses during ART cycles. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of EATM in improving clinical pregnancy and live birth outcomes in women undergoing ART. Methods: This review, registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023411712), systematically searched 11 databases up to 31 March 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing EATM interventions to control groups. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two authors. Meta-analysis used the inverse-variance method in Stata 12.0. A total of 37 RCTs involving 10,776 women (aged 29–38) were analyzed. Studies addressed infertility causes including polycystic ovary syndrome, tubal blockage, diminished ovarian reserve, and unexplained infertility. Acupuncture therapies included body, electro-, laser, and auricular acupuncture. Herbal treatments were administered as powders, pills, granules, decoctions, and ointments based on traditional Chinese formulas. Results: EATM interventions were associated with significant improvements in clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Acupuncture increased clinical pregnancy rates (CPR: RR 1.316, 95% CI 1.171–1.480) and live birth rates (LBR: RR 1.287, 95% CI 1.081–1.533). HM also enhanced CPRs (RR 1.184) and LBRs (RR 1.147). Subgroup analysis showed true acupuncture and HM were more effective than sham or placebo. No significant differences in adverse events were found. Conclusions: EATM, particularly acupuncture and HM, appears to be a safe and effective complementary therapy that can be used to improve ART outcomes. Future research should focus on developing standardized acupuncture and herbal protocols to optimize integration with ART. Full article

Background: The existing literature has limited detail on theory-driven interventions, particularly in pain studies. We adapted Bandura’s self-efficacy framework toward a theory-driven, non-pharmacological intervention using auricular point acupressure (APA) and evaluated participants’ perceptions of this intervention on their pain self-management. APA is a non-invasive modality based on auricular acupuncture principles. Methods: We mapped our study intervention components according to Bandura’s key sources of self-efficacy (performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal) to facilitate the self-management of pain. Through a qualitative study design, we conducted virtual interviews at one and three months after a 4-week APA intervention among 23 participants using purposive sampling to describe their experiences in managing their pain based on our theory-driven APA intervention. Results: Using thematic analyses, we found four themes: the enhanced self-management of pain, improved pain outcomes, the feasibility of technology, and the sustainability of APA. Conclusions: Describing how interventions are mapped according to the elements of theoretical frameworks can help to guide intervention development, advance science and knowledge development, and promote the implementation of interventions. As such, using Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as a foundation for the APA intervention, APA was found to be feasible and sustainable, improving self-management, pain intensity, and pain-related outcomes. Participants provided recommendations for the further improvement of this theory-driven intervention. Full article

Auricular acupuncture (AA) has been used to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, the application of the technique varies widely among the clinical trials that test its effectiveness. The aim of the present study was to develop and clinically validate an AA protocol for the management of CINV in cancer patients. This study was carried out in two stages: (1) development of the AA protocol for the management of CINV and (2) clinical validation of the protocol. The content validity of the protocol was determined by a panel of specialists, with an agreement rate ranging from 85.7% to 100%. In the clinical validation, when administered to cancer patients, the protocol developed has been shown to reduce the incidence, frequency, severity, and length of nausea and vomiting following chemotherapy, as well as the severity of nausea and anticipatory nausea following chemotherapy. This protocol needs to be tested in future studies, including a pilot study with a sham group and a randomized clinical trial, in order to further evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, safety, and clinical usefulness for the management of CINV. Full article

Military personnel in combat face a high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, a protocol-based scoping review was conducted to identify the current status of research on the efficacy of acupuncture for treating combat-related PTSD in military personnel. A literature search was conducted across 14 databases in November 2022, and data from the included studies were collected and descriptively analyzed. A total of eight studies were included. Participants were assessed for core PTSD symptoms using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, as well as related symptoms, such as sleep issues. Although the efficacy of acupuncture has been substantiated in numerous studies, certain metrics did not exhibit improvement. Auricular acupuncture was the most commonly used treatment (50%) followed by manual acupuncture (25%) and a combination of both (25%). Shenmen and Kidney points were frequently targeted at auricular acupoints. The treatment period varied between 5 days and 2 months. While adverse events were reported in two of the fifty-five patients in the intervention group and in four of the sixty-four patients in the control group in the randomized controlled trial studies, no fatal adverse events were reported. Full article

In situations where death by suicide is a major global issue and effective prevention and management approaches are lacking, acupuncture improves some risk factors for suicide, including depression, and it has been used for a long time in clinical settings. Herein, we aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of suicidal behaviors. Fourteen electronic databases were searched for studies published up to 7 September 2022. Original interventional studies of acupuncture in suicide prevention were included. The primary outcome was the validated measure of suicidal ideation. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using an appropriate assessment tool. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, only qualitative analyses were conducted. Eight studies on manual acupuncture (50%), electro-acupuncture (37.5%), and acupressure (12.5%) were included. In particular, three studies (37.5%) used the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol to stimulate the bilateral sympathetic, Shenmen, kidney, liver, and lung auricular points. Acupuncture was effective in direct and indirect outcomes related to suicidal behavior, not only for participants with suicidal behavior, but also for those with other conditions, including depression. A decrease in salivary cortisol was the only biological indicator of acupuncture in patients with suicidal ideation. However, the methodological quality of the included studies was not optimal. In conclusion, acupuncture may reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in clinical and non-clinical populations. Owing to clinical heterogeneity, low methodological quality, and the small number of included studies, further high-quality studies should assess the effectiveness of acupuncture. Full article

The reflex auriculo-cardiac (RAC), dynamic pulse reaction (Nogier reflex), or vascular autonomic signal was proposed by Nogier. It refers to the pulse changes that can occur in the radial artery immediately after auricular acupuncture is performed. RAC is helpful for the clinical practice of auricular acupuncture, but there is a lack of objective verification methods. Photoplethysmography (PPG) has been used to objectively calculate radial artery blood flow. This study used PPG via a smartphone to measure RAC induced by auricular acupuncture. Thirty subjects without major diseases were recruited to receive traditional needle and laser acupuncture. The Shen Men ear point and control points were stimulated for 20 s. PPG was continuously measured during the acupuncture. The PPG data were tested for differences with a paired t-test. The results showed that there were no statistical differences in the frequency and amplitude of PPG obtained before and after acupuncture, either with a traditional needle or laser acupuncture. However, interestingly, it was found that one patient with insomnia, one patient with viral respiratory symptoms, and two menstruating females exhibited changes in PPG within five seconds of needle placement. We hypothesized that RAC might be induced by auricular acupuncture and could be quantified by PPG, even among subjects suffering from mild diseases; however, auricular acupuncture might not induce a measurable RAC in totally healthy subjects. Full article

Background: The regulation of microcirculation depends on the dynamic interaction of different factors: the autonomic nervous system plays a pivotal role in the blood flow and acupuncture can modulate it, obtaining different results depending on the site, the frequency, and the intensity of the stimulation. Methods: 18 healthy subjects have been enrolled and have undergone two sessions of electroacupuncture stimulations: one session using high frequency and one with low frequency. Microcirculation has been monitored continuously during stimulation using the laser Doppler method. Results: The microcirculatory parameters have shown a significant difference between high and low-frequency stimulation, suggesting that low-frequency stimulation is more effective for obtaining a vasodilator effect. Discussion: Our results show that low-frequency stimulation can increase the cutaneous microcirculatory flux, without significantly modifying blood pressure and heart rate. The auricular stimulation causes an increase in the activity of the vagus nerve, increasing the cholinergic activity without acting on post-junctional muscarinic receptors. Conclusion: Auricular acupuncture has a significant impact on the regulation of microcirculation. Full article

Introduction: The medial surface of the auricle (MSotA), as compared to the lateral, has been less studied and has limited consensus among schools of auricular acupuncture (AA) due to its small size, greater difficulty in carrying out an adequate physical examination on it, and less precise and limited agreement on its anatomical references as compared to the lateral surface. The thumb-index technique TIT is performed using a guiding finger (taking advantage of the anatomical conformation of the lateral surface) to guide the explorer finger (placed on the MSotA) to project the therapeutic areas and land marks on the MSotA. TIT could be considered useful and effective in AA to make the most of diagnostic and therapeutic MSotA potential. Methods: An investigation was carried out on the impact of TIT in AA practice through a survey collected from former AA students. Results: TIT showed a high consensus, and is used and appreciated by AA practitioners. Discussion/ Conclusions: To date, in AA, there is no thoroughly shared nomenclature for MSotA. TIT is simple and quick to project on to MSotA the well-coded lateral surface auricular maps from French or Chinese AA schools. Full article

Among women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Sleep problems impair 40–70% of breast cancer survivors. This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of auricular acupuncture on sleep quality in breast cancer survivors suffering from insomnia. Fifty-two female breast cancer survivors with insomnia (mean age 55.73 ± 8.10 years) were randomized either to 10 treatments of auricular acupuncture within five weeks (n = 26), or to a single session of psychoeducation plus an insomnia advice booklet (n = 26). The primary outcome was sleep quality (measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) at week 5. Secondary outcomes were inflammation parameter (interleukin-6), stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and fatigue at week 5, and sleep quality, stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and fatigue 17 and 29 weeks after randomization. Intention-to-treat analysis showed a significantly stronger increase in sleep quality in the auricular acupuncture group compared to the psychoeducation group (p = 0.031; η²_p = 0.094) at week 5. Furthermore, auricular acupuncture improved stress (p = 0.030; η²_p = 0.094), anxiety (p = 0.001; η²_p = 0.192), and fatigue (p = 0.006; η²_p = 0.148) at week 5 compared to psychoeducation. No significant group difference was found concerning the other outcomes at week 5, or in any outcome at week 17 or week 29. No serious adverse events occurred during the study period. In conclusion, a semi-standardized group auricular acupuncture might be an effective and safe intervention in treating insomnia in breast cancer survivors in the short term, and may reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue as well. Long-term effects remain questionable. Full article

Background: Preoperative anxiety causes profound psychological and physiological reactions that may lead to a worse postoperative recovery, higher intensity of acute and persistent postsurgical pain and impaired quality of life in the postoperative period. Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that auricular acupuncture (AA) is safe and effective in the treatment of preoperative anxiety; however there is a lack of systematic evidence on this topic. Therefore, this protocol was developed following the PRISMA guidelines to adequately evaluate the existing literature regarding the value of AA for the reduction in anxiety in patients in a preoperative setting, compared to other forms of acupuncture, pharmacological, or no control interventions and measured with questionnaires regarding anxiety and fear. Methods: The following databases will be searched: MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ISI Web of Science, and Scopus Database. RCTs will be included if an abstract is available in English. Data collection and analysis will be conducted by two reviewers independently. Quality and risk assessment of included studies will be done using the Cochrane 5.1.0 handbook criteria and meta-analysis of effectiveness and symptom scores will be conducted using the statistical software RevMan V.5.3. Conclusions: This systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of AA for preoperative anxiety. Since all data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis have been published, this review does not require ethical approval. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or be presented in relevant conferences. Registration number: PROSPERO ID CRD42020. Full article

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is a major cause of knee pain. Conservative therapy resources are limited due to adverse effects. Therefore, alternative non-invasive therapy approaches to reduce pain medications are gaining importance. The current study analyses if electrical auricular acupuncture (EAA) or low frequency modulated electric current therapy (LFMECT) could support analgesic treatment. Methods: In a randomized pilot trial patients with painful knee OA were treated with EAA (group 1) or LFMECT (group 2) additional to standard pharmacological analgesic treatment. In total 19 female and 10 male patients with a mean age of 59.1 years (standard deviation ± 13.6) and a mean BMI of 28.9 kg/m² (± 5.2) were included. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the groups stratified for age, gender and BMI. Before starting of the active study period and collecting of the initial data on day 1, all patients received a pharmacological analgesic baseline therapy for one week. At the next study stage patients started their randomly assigned treatment protocol for 42 days and final follow-up was set on day 70. Patients recorded their pain intensity (numerical rating scale; NRS) using a standardized patient diary. The pain free walking time in min was recorded and range of motion was assessed. Results: Rescue medication intake was comparable between both groups on day 42 (p = 0.55) and day 70 (p = 0.35). After the active study period (day 42) pain scores decreased significantly in both groups (group 1 p = 0.02; group 2 p = 0.0006). At follow up median pain scores further decreased in group 1 (p = 0.0002) and remained at a low level in group 2 (p = 0.001). Level of pain decreased in about 50% in both groups and was comparable during the study period. Total mean range of motion (ROM) increased in both groups (group 1 p = 0.0003; group 2 p = 0.02). Group 1 had more improvement of mean total ROM compared to group 2 (p = 0.034). Pain-free walking time increased in both groups and was comparable between both groups (p = 0.31). Any adverse effects due to EAA or LFMECT were not observed. Conclusions: Data of the current study indicates that implementation of EAA or LFMECT seems to be beneficial to reduce knee pain and improve knee function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Full article

This editorial is a brief report on the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) ear acupuncture and is intended to briefly summarize the main scientific work. The complementary addiction-detoxification auricular acupuncture method has not been sufficiently experimentally explored in many areas. There have been clinical studies, some of which contradict the success. A total of 27 referenced publications were found that refer to the method that has existed for many decades and should be briefly listed here. Full article

Background: One of the most commonly used auricular acupuncture points selected for different pain treatment regimens is Shenmen. This point on the ear has been recognized as having a wide number of applications, as found by scientific investigation. Methods: Within this crossover study, the ear acupoint Shenmen was stimulated with two different kinds of laser (green, 532 nm and yellow, 589 nm) in 22 healthy volunteers (13 female, 9 male; mean age ± SD = 25.3 ± 4.1 years; range 21–36 years). Both green and yellow lasers were used for 15 min in the same volunteers in two different sessions. Results: The most prominent finding was that systolic blood pressure decreased significantly (p = 0.048) after yellow laser stimulation. Heart rate also decreased significantly (p < 0.001), whereas heart rate variability ratio low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) (p < 0.001) increased. The effects were significantly more pronounced in females than in males. In addition, the temperature was measured, and temperature increases were demonstrated at different locations on the ear using imaging methods. Conclusions: This study shows evidence of the effect of auricular laser acupuncture. However, a comparison with other publications was impossible because this is the first study using green and yellow laser stimulation on the ear. Full article

Background: The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, a simple standardized auricular treatment has the potential to provide vast public health relief on issues currently challenging our world. This includes but is not limited to addiction, such as the opioid epidemic, but also encompasses mental health, trauma, PTSD, chronic stress, and the symptoms associated with these conditions. Simple accessible tools that improve outcomes can make profound differences. We assert that the NADA protocol can have greatest impact when broadly applied by behavioral health professionals, Auricular Detoxification Specialists (ADSes). Methods: The concept of ADS is described and how current laws vary from state to state. Using available national data, a survey of practitioners in three selected states with vastly different laws regarding ADSes, and interviews of publicly funded programs which are successfully incorporating the NADA protocol, we consider possible effects of ADS-friendly conditions. Results: Data presented supports the idea that conditions conducive to ADS practice lead to greater implementation. Program interviews reflect settings in which adding ADSes can in turn lead to improved outcomes. Discussion: The primary purpose of non-acupuncturist ADSes is to expand the access of this simple but effective treatment to all who are suffering from addictions, stress, or trauma and to allow programs to incorporate acupuncture in the form of the NADA protocol at minimal cost, when and where it is needed. States that have changed laws to allow ADS practice for this standardized ear acupuncture protocol have seen increased access to this treatment, benefiting both patients and the programs. Full article