PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify the effect of auriculotherapy on low abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea in school-aged girls. METHODS: This design was a pre and post-test with nonequivalent groups. The subjects were 71 girls who were middle school students with dysmenorrheal (35 students for the treatment group and 36 students for the comparison group). The subjects of the treatment group received auriculotherapy once a week for 10 weeks. The comparison group received instruction on auriculotherapy and was requested waiting for the order. RESULTS: The treatment group reported significantly less low abdominal pain than the comparison group. However, there were not statistical differences in reported dysmenorrhea. In future analysis, 60.0% of the treatment group reported more physical comfort, and 45.7% reported more emotional cool down. CONCLUSION: The finding indicate that auriculotherapy could be effective in decreasing low abdominal pain during menstrual periods. Therefore, auriculotherapy could be an effective nursing intervention for low abdominal pain occurring during mensuration. However, further studies need to be done to support auriculotherapy as effective.
Abdominal Pain ; Auriculotherapy ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was to analyze the effect size of complementary and alternative intervention studies in reference to dysmenorrhea and menstrual distress. METHODS: In order to conduct a meta-analysis, a total of 393 studies were retrieved from the database. Twenty-eight studies that were published from March 2001 to February 2011 were selected. RESULTS: Intervention studies included seven studies on aromatherapy, five on auriculotherapy, three on each Koryo-Sooji-Chim and moxibustion, two on each heat therapy and magnetic therapy and six on other therapy. The effect size of the intervention studies on dysmenorrhea and menstrual distress was greater than 0.48 for Koryo-Sooji-Chim, moxibustion, aromatherapy, auriculotherapy and other therapy. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that drug free therapy can reduce the levels of menstrual distress, despite the small number of intervention studies and randomized controlled trials.
Aromatherapy ; Auriculotherapy ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Hot Temperature ; Clinical Trial ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Menstruation ; Moxibustion

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of auriculotherapy on reducing labor anxiety. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 166 nulliparous pregnant women admitted to the Labor Ward of Izadi Hospital in Qom, Iran were included and assigned to two groups by randomized block design. In the intervention group (83 cases), auriculotherapy in "Shenmen, Thalamic, Zero, Brain, and Brain stem" was performed in dilatations of 4, 6 and 8 cm, between the contractions for 30 s in both ears at interval 1 h. While the control group received routine care. The Spielberger Inventory were completed pre- and post-interventions. RESULTS: The auriculotherapy was effective to reduce anxiety state in the intervention group compared to the control group (P=0.001). The score of state anxiety in the intervention group reduced for 7.0, 8.0 and 11.0 U in 4, 6, and 8 cm dilatations after the intervention. The score of trait anxiety in the intervention group reduced for 3.8, 4.0 and 8.3 U in 4, 6, and 8 cm dilatations after the intervention. There was no significant difference of delivery mode and newborns' weight and Apgar score between groups (P>0.05). No adverse postpartum outcome such as hemorrhage has been observed in both groups. CONCLUSION Since most women are anxious during labor, it seems that auriculotherapy can be an easy and safe method to reduce labor anxiety. (Trial registration No. irct20121230011944n4).
Anxiety/therapy* ; Auriculotherapy/methods* ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Labor, Obstetric ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Research Design

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure on reducing obesity in adult women with abdominal obesity. METHODS: The study design was a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Participants were 58 women, aged 20 years or older, assigned to the experimental group (n=30) or control group (n=28). Auricular acupressure using vaccaria seeds was administered to the experimental group. The sessions continued for 8 weeks. Outcome measures included body weight, abdominal circumference, and body mass index, body fat mass, body fat percentage, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum glucose. RESULTS: Women in the experimental group showed significant decreases in body weight (t=6.19, p <.001), abdominal circumference (t=4.01, p <.001), and body mass index (t=2.58, p =.006) after 8 weeks compared with those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Results show that auricular acupressure using vaccaria seeds was effective in decreasing body weight, abdominal circumference, body mass index, and triglyceride levels in adult women with abdominal obesity.
Acupressure* ; Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Auriculotherapy ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Female ; Humans ; Obesity* ; Obesity, Abdominal* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Triglycerides ; Vaccaria

The electronic questionnaire was adopted to survey the international demand on
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Electroacupuncture ; Moxibustion

30 patients of simple obesity were treated by acupuncture combined with auricular acupoint taping and pressing therapy. After treatment, body weight, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoproteine cholesterol were decrease significantly
obesity ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Therapeutics ; diagnosis ; Acupuncture

OBJECTIVETo probe the optimal acupuncture treatment program for juvenile simple obesity.

METHODSNinety cases were randomly divided into 3 groups: ear acupuncture group, body acupuncture group and control group. The patients of the control group were treated by regulating diet structure, increasing motion and mental direct of slimming, in the body acupuncture group, body acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Tianshu (ST 25), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. were added, and in the ear acupuncture group, acupuncture at ear acupoints Jidian (hunger point), Pizhixia (subcortex), earshenmen, etc. were added. Seventy days later, the therapeutic effects and changes of blood lipids were observed. And they were followed up after one month.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 69.23% in the body acupuncture group, 65.52% in the ear acupuncture group and 26.67% in the control group, with significant differences as the two acupuncture groups compared with the control group. And there were significant differences in total cholesterol (TC) and lower density lipid protein-cholesterol (LDL-C) as the two acupuncture groups compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between the two acupuncture groups in all the indexes.

CONCLUSIONBoth ear acupuncture and body acupuncture have obvious therapeutic effect on juvenile simple obesity, and have some actions on blood lipids.

OBJECTIVETo probe into the mechanism and the best program of acupuncture for slimming.

METHODSThe patients were randomly divided into a control group (n = 60) treated with diet control and exercise, and a treatment group treated with acupuncture, auricular point sticking, TDP radiation. Changes of body weight, cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and blood sugar (BS) before and after treatment were investigated.

RESULTSThe effective rate of the treatment group (91.6%) was better than that of the control group (28.3%).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture, auricular point sticking and TDP radiation combined with diet control and exercise are a better program for slimming, and decreasing appetite, promoting lipid decomposition metabolism are the mechanism of acupuncture in slimming.

OBJECTIVETo search for the best method for child semiluxation of circo-axis vertebrae.

METHODSFifty cases were randomly divided into a treatment group of 25 cases treated with auricular point sticking, and a control group of 25 cases treated with normal acupuncture.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 92.0% in the treatment group and 64.0% in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAuricular point sticking has a good effect on child semiluxation of circo-axis vertebrae.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify health problems in clinical nurses through an examination of their auricular acupuncture points. METHODS: Data were collected from 90 nurses working in D city. Participants' ears were photographed and their auricular points were analyzed. Data analysis was performed by descriptive statistics and the χ2 test. RESULTS: Musculoskeletal problems were the most severe, followed by problems of the digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems, in that order. Furthermore, the average number of health problems was 5.22, with a range of 4 to 6. Leg/foot pain was the highest reported musculoskeletal problem, followed by shoulder and lumbar/back pain. Gastric ptosis was the highest reported digestive problem, followed by indigestion and hypersensitive colitis. Additionally, among participants with gastric ptosis, lumbar pain was significantly high. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that further research using an auricular points as a diagnosis and treatment point is necessary to improve the health of nurses.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Colitis ; Diagnosis ; Dyspepsia ; Ear ; Ear Auricle ; Shoulder ; Statistics as Topic