Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of thread embedding plus Chinese medication in treating primary dysmenorrhea due to blood stagnation caused by cold accumulation. Methods Totally 136 patients with primary dysmenorrhea due to blood stagnation caused by cold accumulation were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 68 in each group. The treatment group was intervened by thread embedding at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) and bilateral Ciliao (BL 32) plus Chinese medication;while the control group was by Chinese medication alone. The dysmenorrhea symptom score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were observed before and after intervention, and the clinical efficacies were compared. Results The total effective rate and recovery-markedly effective rate were respectively 93.8%and 78.1%in the treatment group, versus 85.2%and 50.0%in the control group, and there was a significant difference in comparing the recovery-markedly effective rate (P<0.05). After intervention, the dysmenorrhea symptom score and VAS score were significantly changed in both groups (P<0.01);there were significant differences in comparing the symptom score and VAS score between the two groups (P<0.05). The half-a-year follow-up study showed that the total effective rate and recovery-markedly effective rate were respectively 90.6%and 68.8%in the treatment group, versus 70.6%and 38.2% in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusions Thread embedding plus Chinese medication is an effective approach in treating dysmenorrhea due to blood stagnation caused by cold accumulation, and it’s easy-to-operate and causes less pain.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus Zi Shen Tiao Gan (Kidney-reinforcing and Liver-regulating) Decoction for perimenopausal women with insomnia.
Methods:A total of 126 eligible cases were randomly divided into two groups, 63 cases in each group. Patients in the observation group were given acupuncture plus Zi Shen Tiao Gan (Kidney-reinforcing and Liver-regulating) Decoction. Those in the control group were treated with the same acupuncture treatment as the observation group. The therapeutic effects were assessed after continuous treatment for four weeks.
Results:The total effective rate was 96.8%in the observation group and 74.6%in the control group. The comparison of the total clinical effects between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.01). After treatment, the intra-group comparisons of SPIEGEL score were statistically significant in both groups (P<0.05, P<0.01);the inter-group comparison of SPIEGEL score difference between before and after treatment was statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Acupuncture plus Zi Shen Tiao Gan (Kidney-reinforcing and Liver-regulating) Decoction for perimenopausal insomnia is affirmative in the therapeutic effect, and the therapeutic effect is better than simple acupuncture treatment.

Objective To observe the effect of nerve growth factor(NGF)and electro-acupuncture(EA) on learning and memory in rats with cerebral ischemia.Methods An experimental model of cerebral ischemiareperfusion was established in 40 rats,who were then randomly divided into a model group,a sham operated group,a NGF group,an acupuncture group and a NGF plus acupuncture group.Three weeks were allowed for the recovery of the blood-brain barrier lesion caused by ischemia-reperfusion before intravenous injection of NGF(10μg/kg,once daily for 15 days)via the vena caudalis.In the two acupuncture groups,this was administered in combination with EA at the Baihui(DU20)and Yamen(DU15)acupoints(frequency 100 Hz,2 mA,20 min/time,once daily for 15 days).Morris' water maze test was used to assess any changes in spatial learning and memory abilities.Results The ischemic rats showed significant learning and memory disorders compared with the sham-operated group.In the NGF group,the rats' learning and memory abilities did not impmve significantly compared with the model group and the EA group.Significantly better learning was observed in the NGF+EA group compared with the model group,the EA group and the NGF group.Conclusion NGF combined with EA can improve the learning and memory abilities of rats with learning and memory dysfunction caused by cerebral ischemia-repedusion.

Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy of Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN) in treating scapulohumeral periarthritis (SP). Methods: Eighty patients with SP were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. Patients in the observation group received FSN treatment while those in the control group received conventional acupuncture treatment. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and range of motion (ROM) were observed before and after the treatment, and the therapeutic efficacy was also evaluated. Results: After the treatment, the VAS scores decreased significantly in the two groups, and the VAS score in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). After the treatment, the ROM increased significantly in both groups (both P<0.01), and the ROM in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The recovery rate and the total effective rate in the observation group were respectively 40.0% and 95.0%, significantly higher than 12.5% and 77.5% in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Conclusion: FSN can effectively relieve pain and improve the joint motion in treating SP, thus offering a novel option to the treatment of this kind of musculoskeletal disorder.

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference between the acupoint embedding therapy and polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules in the clinical efficacy on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern.

METHODSThe multi-center clinical trial was adopted and 180 cases of NAFLD of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern were randomized into an embedding therapy group and a western medication group, 90 cases in each one. On the basis of general treatment such as diet control and proper physical exercise, in the embedding therapy group, the acupoint embedding therapy was applied to Ganshu (BL 18), Tai-chong (LR 3), Fenglong (ST 40), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), once every 7 days; in the western medication group, polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules (essentiale) were prescribed, 228 mg/capsule, 2 capsules each time, three times a day. In 6 months of treatment, TCM syndrome score, liver enzymology, blood lipid and abdomen B-ultrasound examination were observed and compared before and after treatment between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) For TCM syndrome score, the total score in the embedding therapy group was lower significantly than that in the western medication group (P<0. 05); (2) For liver enzymology and blood lipid, the levels of serum alanine transarninase (ALT), serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST), total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerol (TG) in the embedding therapy group were reduced significantly as compared with those in the western medication group (all P<0. 05); (3) For abdomen B-ultrasound examination, the fatty liver degree in the embedding therapy group was relieved significantly as compared with that in the western medication group (P< 0. 05); (4) For clinical efficacy, the total effective rate was 89. 8%o (79/88) in the embedding therapy group, higher significantly than 76. 7% (69/90) in the western medication group(P<0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe acupoint embedding therapy achieves the definite efficacy on NAFLD of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern, better than polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Catgut ; utilization ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of acupoint thread-embedding method for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in pattern of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency.
Methods: A total of180 cases in conformity with the diagnostic criteria of NAFLD in pattern of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 90 cases in each group, and finally 88 cases in the treatment group and 90 cases in the control group were recruited for statistics. The treatment group was managed by acupoint thread-embedding method, and the control group was treated by oral administration of Polyene Phosphatidylcholine capsules. Both groups were treated for 6 months. Before and after the treatment, liver enzymology, blood fat test, abdominal B ultrasonic examination, and assessment of clinical effects were respectively processed.
Results:After treatment, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) decreased in the treatment group, and were significantly different from those in the control group after treatment (allP<0.05). There was no statistically significant inter-group difference in the degree of fatty liver (by B ultrasound examination) before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, the improvement degree of fatty liver in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rates were 89.8% in the treatment group and 76.7% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion:The acupoint thread-embedding method can reduce the levels of ALT, AST, TC and TG in NAFLD patients, and can improve the pathologic degree of fatty liver and its clinical effects are remarkably better than that of oral medications.