Effect of Acupuncture on Perception Threshold: A Randomised Controlled Trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-36
Author(s):  
Shuang Wu ◽  
Hidenori Yamaguchi ◽  
Koh Shibutani
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Foramen ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Perception Threshold ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Objective To determine the current perception thresholds (CPTs) for arm and mental foramen areas to enable a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment. Methods Ninety-eight volunteers enrolled as participants and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an acupuncture group (34 subjects); a sham acupuncture group (32 subjects) and a waiting group (32 subjects). CPTs for the arm and mental foramen areas were determined before and after acupuncture at LI4 Hegu of the left hand. A Neurometer CPT was used to evaluate the perception threshold at the homolateral mental foramen and arm. For further exploration, thresholds of homolateral and contralateral mental foramina were determined before and after acupuncture in a subgroup of 13 participants in the acupuncture group. Results Acupuncture at LI4 increased the perception thresholds of the left mental foramen in the acupuncture group significantly (p<0.01). The increases were significantly greater than in the control group for all frequencies, and significantly greater than sham acupuncture for 250 Hz and 5 Hz. In the subgroup, only the CPTs at 5 Hz increased significantly for the contralateral mental foramen. Conclusions Acupuncture at LI4 increases the perception threshold in the mandibular area, but not in the arm. This finding is probably related to the analgesic effect of acupuncture.

Developing and Validating a Sham Acupuncture Needle

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Tough ◽  
Adrian R White ◽  
Suzanne H Richards ◽  
Brian Lord ◽  
John L Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Trigger Point ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Credibility Scale ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Sham Intervention ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Objectives To develop a sham needle device and test its credibility as a control for acupuncture when used in a randomised controlled trial of myofascial trigger point needling in patients with whiplash associated pain. Methods Sham needles were developed by blunting true acupuncture needles. Whiplash injured patients (<16 weeks duration) were randomly allocated to receive either true acupuncture or the “placebo” sham needle control. The true and sham needling interventions were delivered using the same standardised procedure. Patients were informed that they would receive either real or placebo needles, and asked (i) to state which treatment they believed they had received (treatment belief); (ii) to complete the four item Borkovec and Nau self-assessment credibility scale. Results were compared between groups and the analysis explored whether a patient's previous experience of acupuncture was related to their treatment belief. Other outcomes of the study will be reported elsewhere. Results 20 patients received the true acupuncture and 21 received the sham. There was no significant difference between the treatment beliefs of the two groups (χ 2 = 1.51; p>0.2) nor in the mean item scores on the Borkovec and Nau credibility scale (t test, p values ranged from 0.38 to 0.87). Of the patients in the sham acupuncture group who had previous experience of acupuncture, none recorded receiving the sham intervention. Conclusion Within the context of this pilot study, the sham acupuncture intervention was found to be a credible control for acupuncture. This supports its use in a planned, definitive, randomised controlled trial on a similar whiplash injured population.

A Sham-Controlled Trial of Acupuncture as An Adjunct in Migraine Prophylaxis

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Foroughipour ◽  
Amir Reza Golchian ◽  
Mohsen Kalhor ◽  
Saeed Akhlaghi ◽  
Mohammad Taghi Farzadfard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Migraine Prophylaxis ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Migraine Headaches ◽  
Prophylactic Drugs ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Group A ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group

Background Migraine is one of the most common types of headache, with significant socioeconomic effects. Prophylactic drugs are used to prevent migraine headaches but are unpromising. Objective To assess the effects of adding acupuncture to conventional migraine prophylaxis. Methods One hundred patients with migraine (41 male, 59 female), in whom prophylactic drugs had not produced a fall of at least 50% in the number of attacks, entered the study. The patients were randomised into two groups, sham and true acupuncture. The patients in both groups continued their prophylactic treatment and received 12 sessions of either true or sham acupuncture. Each session was 30 min and was repeated three times a week. The number of headaches in the two groups was compared at baseline, and at the end of four successive months. Results There was no significant difference in the frequency of attacks between the two groups before intervention. After 1 month, the frequency of attacks each month decreased from 5.1 (0.8) to 3.4 (1.2) in the true acupuncture group, and from 5.0 (0.8) to 4.4 (1.1) in the sham acupuncture group (a significant difference, p<0.001). The frequency continued to decrease in month 2 but increased in months 3 and 4; however, it was still significantly lower than baseline, and the difference remained significant after month 4. Conclusions Acupuncture is applicable as an adjunct to prophylactic drugs in migraineurs in whom the number of attacks does not fall with prophylactic medication.

scholarly journals Effect of “Deqi” during the Study of Needling “Wang’s Jiaji” Acupoints Treating Spasticity after Stroke

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanqin Li ◽  
Huilin Liu ◽  
Cunzhi Liu ◽  
Guangxia Shi ◽  
Wei Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Statistical Difference ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group

Background.Acupuncture has been shown to reduce spasticity and prevent the onset of spasticity after stroke. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of “Deqi” during needling “Wang’s Jiaji” acupoints treating spasticity in the early stage of stroke.Methods. This study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. 238 patients with stroke (<21 days) participated and were randomly allocated to the verum-acupuncture (n=121) group or sham-acupuncture group (n=117). The verum-acupuncture group received verum acupuncture required to produce the sense of “Deqi” while the sham-acupuncture group received sham acupuncture without “Deqi.” Patients in both groups followed the same 30 min acupuncture regimen 5 times per week for a period of 4 weeks. Scales of MAS, FMA, ADL, MBI, NIHSS, SS-QOL, and MRS were measured at baseline and at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after intervention.Results.Significant differences were observed between two groups. The MRS rating composition has the statistical difference after 4 weeks (P=0.017). The score of MAS, FMA, Barthel, and SSQOL in verum-acupuncture group has increased significantly compared with the sham-acupuncture group after 12 weeks. There was 14% reduction of higher muscle tension in the verum-acupuncture group.Conclusion.Acupuncture “Wang’s Jiaji” points with sensation of “Deqi” in the early stage may reduce the occurrence and decrease the severity of spasticity after stroke.

scholarly journals Effects of Acupuncture on Cardiac Remodeling in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Patient- and Assessor-Blinded Pilot Trial and Its Implications for Future Research

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Jung Myung Lee ◽  
Seung Min Kathy Lee ◽  
Jungtae Leem ◽  
Jin-Bae Kim ◽  
Jimin Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Cardiac Remodeling ◽  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group ◽  
Af Recurrence

Background and Objectives: In this study, we attempted to determine the effects of acupuncture on cardiac remodeling and atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence rates in patients with AF after electrical cardioversion (EC). Materials and Methods: We randomly assigned 44 patients with persistent AF to an acupuncture group or a sham acupuncture group. An electroacupuncture treatment session was administered once weekly for 12 weeks at four acupuncture points (left PC5, PC6, ST36, and ST37). Results: Among the 44 recruited participants, 16 (treatment group) and 15 (control group) completed the trial. The three-month AF recurrence rate (primary outcome) was not significantly different between the two groups. Following the completion of treatment, patients who had been treated with acupuncture had a significant reduction in left atrial volume index (42.2 ± 13.9 to 36.1 ± 9.7 mL/m2; p = 0.028), whereas no change in atrial size was observed in the sham acupuncture group. No serious adverse events were observed. The AF recurrence rate and cardiac function did not differ significantly between the two groups. At three months, the acupuncture treatment group showed more favorable atrial structural remodeling compared to the sham acupuncture group. Conclusion: In future research on acupuncture in AF management, it is recommended that the inclusion criteria be amended to include only symptomatic AF, that an appropriate control group is designed, and that the acupuncture treatment frequency is increased to several times per week.

scholarly journals Evaluation of teaching an integrated case formulation approach on the quality of case formulations: randomised controlled trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 140-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Abbas ◽  
Ruth Walton ◽  
Allan Johnston ◽  
Millicent Chikoore
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Formulation ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Aims and methodThis paper introduces a new approach to producing case formulations, the integrated case formulation (ICF) approach, and a rating scale, the Case Formulation Scale (CFS). Twenty-four psychiatrists participated in a single-blind randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching using this new approach. The intervention group (n = 12) received teaching about using ICF, whereas the control group (n = 12) received teaching as usual. The scores on the CFS were compared before and after teaching.ResultsPrior to teaching, psychiatric trainees had poor scores on the CFS. The CFS score for the group taught the ICF approach improved five times more than the control group.Clinical implicationsThis study demonstrates that case formulation skills can be taught. With further improvements, the ICF approach might be useful in the teaching of case formulation.

scholarly journals Acupuncture for Psychosomatic Symptoms of Hwa-byung, an Anger Syndrome: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujin Choi ◽  
In-Hye Park ◽  
Jung-Eun Kim ◽  
Ojin Kwon ◽  
Ae-Ran Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Effect Size ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Trial Testing ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group

Objectives: Emerging studies found the potential effects of acupuncture for treating chronic pain and mental disorders, namely, depressive and anxiety disorders. Acupuncture is widely used for treating culture-related anger syndrome, Hwa-byung. This pilot trial aimed to investigate the feasibility of a clinical trial testing acupuncture for the psychosomatic symptoms of Hwa-byung.Methods: A total of 26 patients with Hwa-byung planned to be randomly assigned to the acupuncture or sham acupuncture groups. About 10 treatment sessions were applied over 4 weeks. The 100-mm visual analog scale was used to measure the six major Hwa-byung symptoms: stuffiness in the chest, heat sensations, pushing-up in the chest, feeling a mass in the throat, feelings of unfairness, and hard feelings. The criteria for assessing the success of this pilot trial were defined as improvement in three or more of the six Hwa-byung symptoms after treatment, with an effect size &gt;0.2.Results: A total of 15 patients were finally included and randomly assigned to the acupuncture group (n = 7) or the sham acupuncture group (n = 8). After 10 treatment sessions, the Cohen's d effect sizes for acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture were &gt;0.2 for each one of the six major Hwa-byung symptoms, which met our a priori criteria for success. Also, the effect size for the somatic symptoms of “stuffiness in the chest” was 0.81 (95% CI −0.40, 2.20), referring to a large effect size.Conclusions: Our results suggest that acupuncture treatment would be regarded as an acceptable intervention for a full-scale study of psychosomatic symptoms in patients with Hwa-byung.Trial Registration:cris.nih.go.kr, identifier: KCT0001732.

scholarly journals Effect of acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) point on antral contraction function under ultrasound guidance: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingqi Chen ◽  
Yu Bian ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Yuanyuan Zhao ◽  
Jiaying Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Superficial Fascia ◽  
Manual Acupuncture ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Objective Evidence ◽  
Contraction Function ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group

Abstract Background Although the relationship between deqi sensations and curative effect has always been controversial, deqi sensations has been regarded as the key indicator of clinical efficacy of acupuncture therapy. There is little evidence for standardization or visualization of the mechanism of acupuncture’s therapeutic effect. This trial aims to evaluate the effect of needling at Zusanli (ST36) on antral contraction function as visualized by ultrasound. Methods This is a two-arm, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. A total of 116 acupuncture-naïve healthy subjects will be randomly allocated to the acupuncture group or sham acupuncture group in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the acupuncture group will receive manual acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) with the needling depth at crural interosseous membrane. Those in the sham acupuncture group will be given penetrating needling depth at the superficial fascia layer. The primary outcome will be the changes in antral contraction frequency (ACF) before and after acupuncture. The secondary outcomes will be the changes in the thermal infrared spectrum of gastric area skin, the antral contraction amplitude (ACA), the antral movement index (AMI), and the scores on the Chinese version of Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (C-MASS). The adverse events will be evaluated and recorded in detail. Discussion This study may provide visual and objective evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of manual acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36). In addition, the results of this study will help to identify the role of Zusanli (ST36)in the inducing deqi. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000040686. Registered on 8 December 2020

scholarly journals Brief mindfulness-based intervention of ‘STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) touching your face’: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e041364
Author(s):  
Yanhui Liao ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
Tao Luo ◽  
Shiyou Wu ◽  
Zhenzhen Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Study Protocol ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychological Traits ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionFace-touching behaviour often happens frequently and automatically, and poses potential risk for spreading infectious disease. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown its efficacy in the treatment of behaviour disorders. This study aims to evaluate an online mindfulness-based brief intervention skill named ‘STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) touching your face’ in reducing face-touching behaviour.Methods and analysisThis will be an online-based, randomised, controlled, trial. We will recruit 1000 participants, and will randomise and allocate participants 1:1 to the ‘STOP touching your face’ (both 750-word text and 5 min audio description by online) intervention group (n=500) and the wait-list control group (n=500). All participants will be asked to monitor and record their face-touching behaviour during a 60 min period before and after the intervention. Primary outcome will be the efficacy of short-term mindfulness-based ‘STOP touching your face’ intervention for reducing the frequency of face-touching. The secondary outcomes will be percentage of participants touching their faces; the correlation between the psychological traits of mindfulness and face-touching behaviour; and the differences of face-touching behaviour between left-handers and right-handers. Analysis of covariance, regression analysis, χ2 test, t-test, Pearson’s correlations will be applied in data analysis. We will recruit 1000 participants from April to July 2020 or until the recruitment process is complete. The follow-up will be completed in July 2020. We expect all trial results to be available by the end of July 2020.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, an affiliate of Zhejiang University, Medical College (No. 20200401-32). Study results will be disseminated via social media and peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration numberNCT04330352.

scholarly journals Acupuncture for the Treatment of Oculomotor Paralysis: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia-Qi Bi ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Qi Yang ◽  
Bao-lin Li ◽  
Qing-Gang Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Palpebral Fissure ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomised Controlled

This study consisted of a single centre randomised controlled trial with two parallel arms: an acupuncture group (n=20) with 27 affected eyes and a sham group (n=20) with 23 affected eyes. Participants in the acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment once daily, three times weekly for four weeks. Participants assigned to the control group received sham acupuncture, the same protocol as that used for the acupuncture group but without insertion of needles into the skin. The primary outcome measure was the cervical range of motion (CROM) score. Secondary outcome measures were the palpebral fissure size, response rate, and adverse events. All 40 participants completed the study. In the comparison of acupuncture and sham acupuncture, a significant difference was observed between acupuncture and sham acupuncture in CROM score (21.37±15.16and32.21±19.54, resp.) (P<0.05) and palpebral fissure size (7.19±2.94and5.41±2.45, resp.) (P<0.05). Response rate was also significantly different in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). No adverse events were reported in both groups in this study. In summary, it was demonstrated that acupuncture had a feasibility positive effect on oculomotor paralysis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document