Four fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients with complaints of widespread pain, fatigue and difficulty sleeping received acupuncture therapy. The effects of acupuncture treatment were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and a pain disability assessment scale (PDAS). After whole body acupuncture treatments, VAS and PDAS values were almost unchanged. However, VAS and PDAS values improved following a 3-treatment course of FMS-specific acupuncture treatments (electroacupuncture at the characteristic tender points of FMS). These results suggest that FMS-specific acupuncture treatment of fibromyalgia patients may relieve their commonly reported symptoms of pain, and fatigue.

It is well known that aconitine-alkaloids is effective for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the clinical use is limited in part because of its side effects. In this study we examined the therapeutic effects of newly processed “bushi” (Shujibushi) in which the contents of original forms of aconitines were reduced to aboid their undesirable effects. The effectiveness of the “Shujibushi” was recognized in 65.8% (45/67) for clinical and definite RA and in 80.7% (21/26) for probable RA. There were not any adverse side effects.
In order to obtain possible explanations for the high effectiveness of the “Shujibushi”, we analized ingredients of the “Shujibushi” in comparison with “Uzu” another type of aconitine-alkaloids medicine. The “Shujibushi” contained the significantly larger amounts of total alkaloids compared with “Uzu”. The satisfactory effectiveness of the “Shujibushi” might be brought on by the high content of total alkaloids which seem to be composed of aconitine-metabolites and its original forms.

In order to reduce the side effects of aconitine alkaloids, various types of processed Aconitine Tuber have been developed. We have been using 2 types of processed materials: the “Shujibushi” and the “Uzu” for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Original forms of aconitines (aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine) and total alkaloids of these processed materials were analyzed. Hypaconitine content was 4.9 times larger in the “Uzu” than in the “Shujibushi”. In contrast, the content of total alkaloids was significantly larger in the “Shujibushi” than in the “Uzu”. Accordingly, the amount of total alkaloids eluted to the decoction was 1.3-1.8 times larger in the “Shujibushi” than in the “Uzu”.
Our data indicate that 1) The effectiveness of the processed Aconiti Tuber may depend on the contents of the total alkaloids as well as the original forms of aconitines; 2) Elution rates of total alkaloids to the decoction vary among the types of herb complex resulting in the difference of their clinical effectiveness and reduction of side effects.

Case Report : Acupuncture therapy for a fibromyalgia-like syndrome (FMS-like) patient. A 44-year-old woman complained of widespread pain, fatigue and poor quality sleep. Effects of acupuncture treatment were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS), pain disability assessment scale (PDAS) and pressure pain thresholds (PPT) at tender sites of FMS. After 13 whole body acupuncture treatments PPT, VAS and PDAS were almost unchanged. However, three FMS-specific acupuncture treatments (eletroacupuncture at characteristic tender sites of FMS) increased PPT and improved VAS and PDAS. These results suggest that FMS-specific acu-puncture treatment may relieve widespread pain and fatigue symptoms in FMS-like patients.

[Purpose] This study investigated sports injuries in university students and compared two different acupuncture therapy procedures for chronic low back pain (LBP).
[Method] The questionnaire (12 items) was distributed to members of sports clubs at Meiji University of Oriental Medicine. Patients with LBP resulting from sports injuries who had had low back pain for more than a year were treated by two different acupuncture therapy procedures. There were no abnormal findings in their neurological examinations.
[Result] The questionnaire response rate was 68.6%. The overall prevalence rate of sports injuries was 77.6%, and LBP patients were the most common. On the other hand, during and after the preceding therapy, using the traditional acupoints for LBP, there was no remarkable clinical effect on LBP, whereas during and after the succeeding therapy using the trigger point, there were remarkable clinical effects on LBP, as evaluated by the visual analogue scale.
[Conclusion] These results suggest that trigger point acupuncture therapy may be more effective on chronic LBP in sports than therapy which uses traditional acupuncture.

The effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on lower back pain in clinical trials were reviewed. First, the effects of Western medicine on lower back pain, patients with specific and nonspecific lower back pain, were systematically reviewed based on online data, and possible mechanisms were discussed. Secondly, the role and potential of acupuncture and moxibustion on lower back pain were considered based on a review of research literature. Finally, the effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion on several kinds of lower back pain was systematically examined based on online data. These results suggest that acupuncture and moxibustion may be more effective on non-specific lower back pain.

[Objective]Acupuncture has been reported to be useful for temporomandibular disorders. There have been many reports on muscle problems in temporomandibular disorders (TMD) but only a few reports on disc problems. We report on the use of acupuncture in a temporomandibular disorder patient with disc disorders.
[Case]A 19-year-old female complained of pain upon opening her mouth and trismus. We applied acupuncture with the aim of resolving the disc problems and providing analgesia by a contributing muscle needling approach.
[Methods]The following were measured:intensity of jaw pain, anxiety and satisfaction (visual analogue scale:VAS), position and form of disc and caput mandibulae (MRI) and presence of jaw deviation.
[Results]The following were improved after acupuncture treatments:intensity of jaw pain, anxiety and satisfaction, limitation of jaw movement and jaw deviation. However, the positions of the discs did not change.
[Conclusion]These results suggest that acupuncture may be effective for temporomandibular disorder patients with disc disorders.

[Purpose] Elderly patients with chronic low back pain have often been treated by acupuncture andmoxibustion therapy, using the traditional acupoints for low back pain. But there are some patients who do not get a clinical effect. Therefore, we tried to treat three such patients with three sessions of trigger point acupuncture therapy, instead of using the traditional acupoints for low back pain.
[Methods] The patients were aged 74, 71 and 66, and had low back pain for at least 6 months. They hadround backs, but there were no extraordinary findings in their neurological examinations.
[Results] During and after the previous therapy using the traditional acupoints for low back pain, there wereno remarkable clinical effects on low back pain. But during and after the present therapy using trigger points, there were remarkable clinical effects on low back pain, as evaluated by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the pain disability assessment scale (PDAS).
[Conclusion] These results suggest that the trigger point acupuncture therapy may be more effective on lowback pain in elderly patients than acupuncture therapy which uses the traditional acupoints.

[Purpose] This study investigated shoulder stiffness in university students and compared three different treatment procedures for shoulder stiffness.
[Method] The questionnaire (7 items) was distributed to 30 university students with a 3-month history of shoulder stiffness treated by three different treatments procedures. There were no abnormal findings on neuro logical examination.
[Result] The questionnaire response rate was 64.6%. The overall prevalence of shoulder stiffness was 61.9%, most patients had asthenopia and headache along with shoulder stiffness. However, immediately after the tender point and sham treatment periods, there were no remarkable clinical effect on shoulder stiffness, whereas after trigger point treatment, there were remarkable clinical effects on shoulder stiffness, as evaluated by the visual analogue scale.
[Conclusion] These results suggest that trigger point acupuncture treatment may be more effective for shoul- der stiffness in university students than other acupuncture treatments