[Introduction] The domestic market for medical devices is expected to increase steadily against the backdrop of growing medical needs due to the aging population. This will create more business opportunities for medical device manufacturers. However, clarity regarding the domestic market for the medical device category "acupuncture and moxibustion apparatus" is poor, and information is lacking for companies to use when considering implementing new business development strategies.[Materials and Methods] Data from the "Statistics of Production by Pharmaceutical Industry" for the last five years (2019-2023) were used as the information source, and medical devices categorized as "acupuncture and moxibustion apparatus" were analyzed.[Results] The average domestic market size (production value + import value - export value) for acupuncture and moxibustion devices over the past five years was 7,141,948,800 JPY (95% confidence interval: 6,095,584,238-8,112,805,362), and the average annual growth rate was -4.29%. In terms of the average annual growth rate by generic name, "home-use affixed contact grains" (12.8%) had the largest growth rate; "warm moxibustion devices" (9.3%) and "non-invasive home-use acupuncture and moxibustion devices" (5.7%) showed positive growth; while "reusable acupuncture needles" (-1.3%), sterilized needles" (-5.8%), and "non-active contact needles" (-23.8%) showed negative growth.[Conclusion] Among devices in the category "acupuncture and moxibustion devices", "home-use affixed contact grains", "warm moxibustion devices", and "non-invasive home-use acupuncture and moxibustion devices" showed positive growth over the past five years. Thus, these are the medical device categories for which new business development can be expected.

[Objective] Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) causes arrhythmia, and it most frequently occurs in healthy individuals. It has been recently reported that a combination of medical therapy and acupuncture has an effect on arrhythmia. Herein, we report on the use of acupuncture in a patient with PVC.[Case] A 41-year-old male complained of arrhythmia and stiff shoulders. According to the Lown grading system, he was diagnosed with a grade 1 condition using Holter monitor in a hospital for internal diseases. Acupuncture was applied for decreasing the PVC count and discomfort in the chest region.[Methods] Acupuncture was applied at points PC6, BL15, HT7, ST36, GV20, CV17, and KI3. Manipulation involved twirling the stemless needle (30 mm in length, 0.20 mm in diameter) at a low amplitude and high frequency, and the needle was then retained for 10 min. The treatment was applied twice a day for four weeks. Measurements were obtained using a visual analog scale, SF-36v2, and Holter monitor.[Results] After four weeks of treatment, discomfort in the chest region decreased and quality of life improved. Additionally, the PVC count decreased after two weeks of treatment.[Conclusion] Our findings suggest that acupuncture is effective for treatment of PVC.

Case reports are studies that document the detailed progression of a single case, representing the most accessible research style for clinicians. Even a single case can provide insights that may hint at directions for future research and clinical practice, and enhancing the quality of case reports can strengthen the scientific foundation of acupuncture. Therefore, it is advisable for acupuncturists to actively pursue case reporting based on their daily clinical experiences. However, to make case reports meaningful, they must be correctly "evaluated." Evaluation in acupuncture practice is broadly divided into assessment of the condition and the outcomes of treatment. The assessment of the condition involves understanding the patient's current state through consultation and physical examination, while outcome evaluation assesses changes in the patient following treatment. Here, "evaluation" refers to the latter-observing changes in patient outcomes. We discussed how patient outcomes are assessed in daily practice, how these assessments are utilized, and how they can lead to presentations at academic conferences, aiming to help with those who are one step away from making such conference presentations.

[Background] Presenteeism, defined as the practice of sick workers who come to work, and whose work performance effectiveness has been reduced due to various signs and symptoms, causes a significant financial loss to companies. However, comprehensive and effective occupational health countermeasures have not yet been presented. Therefore, we report here the results of an interim analysis to determine whether an allowance for acupuncture treatment is beneficial for workers' presenteeism. [Methods] A four-week randomized intergroup comparative study was conducted on office workers who were aware of their presenteeism. Participants were allocated to either the control group, in which regular recommended presenteeism countermeasures for each workplace were implemented arbitrarily, or to the intervention group in which an allowance of up to 8,000 was given for acupuncture treatment, in addition to the usual arbitrary measures. The primary endpoint was the WHO-HPQ relative presenteeism score: a score lower than 1 indicates lower work performance; and it was analyzed with the "full analysis set" population.[Results] A total of 52 patients were assigned to the intervention group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 22). On average, the intervention group received acupuncture treatments 1.4 times for stiff neck and shoulders (67%), lower back pain (26%), depression (5%), and allergies (2%), and paid a total of 7,219; and 6,556 was paid as an expense allowance. As a result, the relative presenteeism score was 0.95 in the intervention group, compared to 0.91 in the control group, with a between-group difference of 0.04 (ES (r) = 0.22, P = 0.12).[Conclusions] With a total of up to 8,000 offered to office workers who were aware of their presenteeism, an acupuncture treatment allowance for a four-week period was provided 1.4 times on average. The results suggested that the treatment allowance would increase workers' performance efficiency by about 4% (equivalent to 19,691 per person) compared to those without it.