Twelve patients with chronic renal diseases who underwent hemodialysis in the Oriental Medicine Outpatient Clinic of a general hospital were analyzed. The ratio of female to male patients was high, and patients' ages ranged from 31 to 71 years, with a mean age of 53.3 years. Many patients had been receiving hemodialysis for a relatively long time at a frequency of three times a week in most cases. They thus had to maintain a fixed posture for 4-5h per day several times a week. Underlying diseases were chronic glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidney and nephrosclerosis. Blood biochemical examination revealed high levels of BUN, CRE and UA, while K, Na, Ca and Pi electrolytes were almost normal. The drug therapy consisted mainly of urate biosynthesis inhibitors and electrolyte metabolism amelioraters. Symptoms resulting from long-term maintenance of a fixed posture and abnormalities in K, Na, Ca and Pi electrolytes included headache, stiffness in the neck and shoulder, pain in the arms, low back pain, pain in the legs and pain in the knee joint. Acupuncture was slightly effective or better in 73.1% of the patients, and none of them showed aggravation.

The effect of acupuncture electrotherapy (AET) on siccative symptoms (dry eye, dry mouth) of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) was examined using changes in the lacrimary secretion volume, the salivary secretion volume, and the skin temperature on the face as well as the dry score.
1) The control group (n=10) was subjected to 1-Hz/30-Hz AET on the face and 1-Hz AET on the posterior neck and upper scapula region. Though, the 30-Hz AET on the face resulted in a significant increase in the lacrimary secretion volume, salivary secretion voloume, and skin temperature on the face, no clear changes were observed in response to stimulus at the posterior neck and upper scapula region.
2) In one group of SjS patients (n=15), 30-Hz AET on the face significant increased the lacrimary secretion volume and salivary secretion volume.
3) In a second group of SjS patients (n=7), no significant difference in effects with elapsed time was observed immediately after, 30 minutes after. 1 hour after, and 2 hours after applying 30-Hz AET on the face.
4) In a third groups of SjS patients (n=10), no significant difference in the cumulative effect of 30-Hz AET applied to the face was observed after the first, fifth and tenth treatments. However, the dry mouth score significantly decreased from the first treatment to the tenth treatment.
The above observations indicate that the effect of AET on siccative symptoms of SjS patients occurs in the order of trigeminal nerve, facila nerves, and glosspharygeal nerve reflexes (somatic-parasympathetic nerve reflex). They also indicate that the reactivity varies according to the frequency of stimulation provided, with high-frequency stimulation being particularly effective in salivation, suggesting that acupuncture may contribute to improving the QOL of patients by mitigating the subjective siccative symptoms experienced by them.

An attack of Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP) is characterized by blanching of the fingers in response to cold or emotional stimuli.
We analyzed the effect of ninjinyouei-to on RP in patients with MCTD. Subjects in this study comprised 19 patients, two males and 17 females, with a mean age of 38 years, and a mean duration of disease of 57.6 months. The study was performed at a time when RP occurred frequently in our country, that is in the period from November 1992 to March 1993.
We administered 9.0g of ninjinyouei-to to each case for four weeks and measured the surface skin temperature of the hands before and after medication with a thermograph using a Thermoviewer-JTG 3300.
There was a significantly higher temperature on the left first finger-tip after medication. Our thermographic findings in this study demonstrate a quantitative efficacy of ninjinyouei-to on RP in MCTD.

[Object]Any reports on acupuncture for patients with POEMS syndrome, which almost manifests disturbance of peripheral nerve in all cases and is known as a very rare disease together with disturbance of multiple organs, are not yet found. The present paper is concerned with a case report that improvement of symptoms and progress of ADL were brought out by acupuncture.
[Case]A sixty year-old man who was diagnosed as POEMS syndrome and received rehabilitation therapy after treatment with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation complained of difficulty in walking with numbness in the lower legs at rest time and with numbness and muscular tension in the same sections after walking. Therefore, acupuncture was practiced once or twice per week for the patient in order to raise the threshold of pain and to relax muscular tension in the lower extremities.
[Results]After acupuncture, the patient could lengthen the walking distance, had reduced numbness in the soles and relaxation of muscular tension in the lower legs at rest time, and improved numbness after walking.
[Discussion and Conclusion]Acupuncture for a patient with POEMS syndrome resulted in improved symptoms and progress of ADL without severe side effects. From the above results, acupuncture is considered to be a useful therapeutic method used together with present medical treatment.

[Introduction]There are few studies on the effect of acupuncture on QOL and work ability. Therefore, by this prospective study, we examined the effect of acupuncture treatment for QOL and work ability of visual display terminal (VDT) workers.
[Methods]Sixty-one VDT workers participated as subjects (41 males, 20 females). Acupuncture sessions were performed once a week for 4 weeks. Acupuncture points were decided by individualized VDT workers neck and shoulder symptoms points. Disposable press tack needles were used. Improvement of SF-36 and the work ability index were evaluated.
[Results]All VDT workers completed follow-up. There were statistically significant improvements in Mental Component Score (MCS), Physical Component Score (PCS), Role Physical and Body-Pain of the SF-36, and WAI. Regular correlations between before WAI and MCS, PCS, and 8 subscales of the SF-36 were observed. In addition improvement rate of WAI and Body-Pain were observed.
[Conclusion]Symptoms in the neck shoulder stiffness of the VDT workers was improved by acupuncture, and QOL/work ability improved.

We evaluated the efficacy, usefulness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in rheumatoid arthritis, by the randomized, parallel-group, multi-center study with the drug-treated outpatient group as the control. The endpoints, important in the clinical assessment of acupuncture treatment, included the improvement criteria in ACR core set variables and the Japanese version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales Version 2 (AIMS-2), a system of evaluation of the QOL of patients with RA.
Regarding intervention (therapy), a therapy chart for each stage of disease was drawn up to give local and systemic treatment in consideration of the patient's activity and disability in each stage of rheumatoid arthritis, so that generally consistent therapy adapted to the patient's condition would be provided. Result 1. Patients eligible for analysis were 80 patients of A-group (drug therapy group) (80 females, 2 males, 2dropped) and 90 patients of B-group (drug plus acupuncture and moxibustion group), total 170 patients. 2. Patients who satisfied the improvement criteria in ACR core set variables (improved patients) were 8 of 80 patients in A-group and 20 of 90 patients in B-group. The improvement rate was significantly higher for B-group treated by drug plus acupuncture and moxibustion versus A-group, with P=0.04 in 2×2 table chi square test. 3. In QOL change investigated by AIMS-2 questionnaire, the improvement occurred significantly more frequently in the drug plus acupuncture and moxibustion group, with difference between groups at 12 months after the initiation of clinical study at P=0.001. 4. Changes in the subjects included in AIMS-2 questionnaire: Improvement was significantly more frequent in the drug plus acupuncture and moxibustion group versus drug therapy group in respect to the ability to walk, finger function, housework, sociableness, pain, mood, and the degree of subjective improvement. In the present randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study, a significant improvement was detected in the drug plus acupuncture and moxibustion group versus the drug therapy group in the aforesaid respect, which suggested that the use of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with the conventional therapy would prevent deterioration of physical functions, improve blood circulation, stabilize mental status, and thereby contribute to the improvement of QOL in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

[Purpose] We know of no reports on the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) stimulation, on human skeletal muscle blood flow (MBF), examined quantitatively with a direct method. Therefore, we investigated changes in MBF before, during and after EA with a new clearance method. [Methods] Ten healthy adult volunteers (8 men and 2 women; median age 30.5 years) were given EA to the trapezius at the BL 10 and GB 21 acupoints, employing the left trapezius as the non-EA side to contrast with the right trapezius as the EA side, and using stainless needles of 50 mm length and 0.18 mm gauge. MBF data were surveyed for 2 minutes before EA, for 4 minutes during EA, and for 4 minutes after EA, and a total of10minutes were analyzed l(?). Blood pressure and heart rate were simultaneously measured. [Results] MBF on the EA side increased significantly during EA (p < 0.05). On the other hand, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were shown to decrease during EA (p < 0.05). [Discussion] These results, showing that MBF increased on the EA side, while diastolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased, suggest a regional muscle pump action with EA. [Conclusion] In evaluating a new, direct means of quantitatively examining _99mTc0_4- clearance, an increase in MBF with right side EA stimulation was clearly shown. Because the present method is simpler and easier, and higher in accuracy than past methods, we believe it may be used more aggressively in future clinical studies of acupuncture/moxibustion.

[Introduction]Recently, in the development of information technology, VDT workers are increasing rapidly. Physical and mental health symptoms associated with working at visual display terminals (VDTs) are controversial. However, there are few studies about the effect of acupuncture treatment on eye fatigue, neck and shoulder stiffness that many VDT workers have.
Therefore, in this prospective study, we examined the effect of acupuncture treatment for complaints of VDT workers.
[Methods]Sixty-one VDT workers participated as subjects (41 males, 20 females). Acupuncture sessions were performed once a week for four weeks. Acupuncture points were decided by the patient's muscleskeletal distress.
Disposable press tack needles were used. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to determine eye fatigue, neck and shoulder stiffness. Improvements of each VAS were evaluated. Then we analyzed improvement on shoulder and neck stiffness associated with eye fatigue.
[Results]The neck and shoulder distress of patients was reduced in four weeks by acupuncture treatment. A regular correlation between the improvement rate of eye fatigue and neck/shoulder stiffness was observed.
[Conclusion]The neck and shoulder stiffness was improved by acupuncture treatment. According to improved symptoms, eye fatigue was mitigated as well. Thus it was suggested that utility of acupuncture is high in the field of industrial medicine.