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Research Archive

Welcome to our Chinese medicine and acupuncture research news pages. We add to the content of these pages continuously as more research news comes in. Browse through the complete archive below or use the category links on the right.

Please note that the most twenty recent research archive items are free to view but access to the thousands of items in the archive require a journal subscription.

Acupuncture clears nasal congestion

Categories: Miscellaneous disorders, Allergies

German investigators have recorded objective measures of improvement in nasal congestion following acupuncture. Twenty-four patients with a history of nasal congestion were diagnosed according to the Heidelberg model of TCM. They were treated using either specific verum acupoints according to TCM diagnosis, or nonspecific control acupoints. Subjective (VAS - nasal congestion measured on a visual a ...

Gou ji may help prevent osteoporosis

Categories: Miscellaneous disorders, Back

Korean and Vietnamese biochemists have investigated the Chinese herb Gou Ji (Rhizoma Cibotii barometz - or chain fern rhizome) as a possible treatment for osteoporosis. The herb is also known in Vietnam as the vegetable lamb plant, based on a legend of lambs springing fully grown from its seeds. It has traditionally been classified in Chinese medicine as a Kidney and Liver tonic that strengthens t ...

ACUPUNCTURE BETTER THAN USUAL CARE FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLUSHES

Categories: Gynaecology, Menopausal syndrome

A pilot study on the effect of acupuncture in decreasing hot flushes in menopausal women has concluded either that there is a strong placebo effect or that both traditional and sham acupuncture significantly reduce hot flush frequency. Fifty-six postmenopausal women (aged 44 to 55) were randomised to one of three treatment groups: usual care, sham acupuncture (shallow needling at non-therapeutic s ...

ACUPUNCTURE HELPS REDUCE MENOPAUSAL HOT FLUSHES

Categories: Gynaecology, Menopausal syndrome

A Norwegian study has found that acupuncture in addition to self-care can contribute to a clinically relevant reduction in menopausal hot flushes. The research was a multicentre, pragmatic, randomised, controlled trial with two parallel arms comparing the effect of individualised acupuncture plus self-care against self-care alone for hot flushes and health-related quality of life in 267 postmenopa ...

ACUPUNCTURE AND IMPOTENCE

Categories: Male disorders

29 patients with psychogenic (non-organic) impotence were treated by doctors in the Urology and Anaesthesiology Departments of Ankara University, Turkey. All patients were needled at points Ciliao BL-32, Dadun LIV-1, Yinlian LIV-11, Neiguan P-6, Tiaokou ST-38, Qugu REN-2 and Baihui DU-20 for a total of ten treatments. Successful results (two satisfactory sexual activities in a week) were achieved ...

ACUPUNCTURE & VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS

Categories: Male disorders

A Swedish study has shown acupuncture to be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes) in men following castration therapy for prostatic carcinoma. Patients received twice weekly acupuncture for 2 weeks, and weekly for 10 weeks. Flushes were reduced by 70% after 10 weeks and was 50% lower 3 months after the last treatment (Journal of Urology 1999; 161(3); 853-856).

ACUPUNCTURE & CHRONIC PROSTATITIS

Categories: Male disorders, Pelvic

Some sources suggest that up to 10% of men suffer from some of the symptoms of chronic prostatitis, more commonly referred to nowadays as chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). Whilst western medical treatment does not offer a lot of help for this condition, there have been reports and studies rom China over many years of its successful treatment by acupuncture. Now a western study has confirmed the ...

ACUPUNCTURE & MALE INFERTILITY

Categories: Infertility, Male disorders

In a small Brazilian study, 19 male patients with sperm abnormalities (sperm count, motility and morphology) were randomly assigned to receive true (treatment group) or sham (control group) acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. The treatment group were needled at Qichong ST-30, Taixi KID-3, Zusanli ST-36, Hegu L.I.-4, Sanyinjiao SP-6, Gongsun SP-4, Taichong LIV-3 and Neiguan P-6 (with deqi), and ...

ACUPUNCTURE & CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN IN MEN

Categories: Male disorders, Pelvic

This Japanese study treated ten men suffering from chronic pelvic pain syndrome (eight of whom had previously received pharmacological medicines without benefit) at a single acupuncture point, Zhongliao BL-33, with the needle retained for ten minutes whilst being rotated manually. Treatment was given weekly for five weeks. At the end of the treatment period, there was significant improvement in ch ...

ACUPUNCTURE IMPROVES SPERM QUALITY

Categories: Infertility, Male disorders

A study of the effect of acupuncture on sperm quality in men suffering infertility of unknown cause, found that after twice weekly treatment for five weeks, there were fewer structural sperm defects (acrosome position and shape, nuclear shape, axonemal pattern and shape, and accessory fibres of sperm organelles) and an increase in the number of normal sperm ejaculated. Other sperm abnormalities su ...

ACUPUNCTURE FOR CHRONIC PROSTATITIS

Categories: Male disorders

A pilot study has assessed the use of body and auricular acupuncture in men suffering from chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Ten men who were refractory to conventional therapies were given 30 minutes of body and auricular acupuncture twice weekly for six weeks. A standardised set of acupuncture points, based on traditional Chinese medicine principles, was used. The body ...

ACUPUNCTURE BENEFITS PROSTATE PAIN

Categories: Male disorders

Acupuncture treatment is more than twice as likely as sham treatment to improve men's symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Malaysian researchers randomised 89 patients to ten weeks of twice-weekly 30-minute true or sham acupuncture sessions. The patients were scored on the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI). Response to treatment was defined as a minimum six- ...

ACUPUNCTURE FOR PROSTATE CANCER HOT FLUSHES

Categories: Cancer, Male disorders

Both electroacupuncture (EA) and traditional acupuncture (TA) can reduce the impact of hot flushes on men who have had castrational treatment for prostate cancer. Swedish researchers randomised 31 men with hot flushes due to prostate cancer treatment to EA (12 points, with four electro-stimulated) or TA (12 points) weekly for 12 weeks. Hot flushes per 24 hours decreased significantly, from a media ...

AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE FOR VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS IN PROSTATE CANCER

Categories: Cancer, Male disorders

The role of auricular acupuncture (AA) in men receiving luteinising-hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues for cancer of the prostate has been investigated by a research group in the UK. Vasomotor symptoms similar to those observed in postmenopausal women can affect the quality of life in such men. Sixty patients (median age 74 years) received weekly AA for 10 weeks. Ninety-five percent of pat ...

ACUPUNCTURE RELIEVES PROSTATE PAIN

Categories: Male disorders

Electroacupuncture (EA) can relieve symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and is particularly effective for pain relief. In the first randomised controlled trial of EA for this condition, Korean researchers randomised 39 men into three treatment groups: advice and exercise plus 12 sessions of EA (EA); advice and exercise plus 12 sessions of sham EA (SEA); and advice ...

ACUPUNCTURE IMPROVES SPERM MOTILITY

Categories: Infertility, Male disorders

The first prospective, randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile men with severe oligoasthenozoospermia has shown that acupuncture can improve sperm motility. The German study, involving 29 men compared TCM acupuncture with placebo acupuncture. A significantly higher percentage of motile sperm was found after real acupuncture. No effect of acupunc ...

CHINESE HERBS AND STEROID-DEPENDENT NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Categories: Kidney / Urinary disorders

37 children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) were treated with Chai-Ling-Tang (Sairei-to). After treatment, relapse was markedly improved, time for negative conversion of proteinuria shortened, prednisone dosage significantly reduced, and side effects eased. It is considered that Chai-Ling-Tang may be a useful substitute for patients with SDNS who fail to respond to or manifest sev ...

Acupuncture and the overactive bladder

Categories: Kidney / Urinary disorders

Eleven patients (9 males and 2 females) with overactive bladders were treated by acupuncture. The age range was from 51 to 82 years (mean 71 years). Nine patients complained of urge incontinence and 2 patients of urgency. Uninhibited contraction was observed in all patients before the acupuncture. Acupuncture was given at bilateral Zhongliao BL-33 and the needles rotated for 10 minutes manually. A ...

CHINESE MEDICINE REDUCES DIALYSIS FREQUENCY

Categories: Kidney / Urinary disorders

A Chinese study has demonstrated that when Chinese medicine is combined with peritoneal dialysis, it is possible to reduce the frequency of the dialysis whilst maintaining renal function (Chung-Kuo Chung Hsi i Chieh Ho Tsa Chih. 1996 ;16(2):67-9).

ACUPUNCTURE AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

Categories: Kidney / Urinary disorders

A study carried out in Bergen, Norway has demonstrated the value of acupuncture in preventing urinary tract infections in women who are especially prone to repeated recurrences. 67 such women (3 or more attacks in the past 12 months) were randomly divided into an acupuncture group, a sham acupuncture group and a control (no treatment). Acupuncture was given twice a week for 4 weeks mainly at Zhong ...