1.Effects of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with external application of Chinese herbal ointment at the trigger point on lumbodorsal myofascial pain syndrome of cold-damp stagnation type
Bo LIANG ; Caifang BU ; Liwei YAO ; Yanhong JIANG ; Zhen LAI
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2023;30(3):346-351
Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with external application of Chinese herbal ointment at the trigger point on lumbodorsal myofascial pain syndrome of cold-damp stagnation type.Methods:A total of 90 patients with lumbodorsal myofascial pain syndrome of cold-damp stagnation type admitted to Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from September 2021 to April 2022 were included in this study. They were randomly divided into three groups ( n = 30/group) using the random number table method. Patients in the Chinese herbal ointment group were treated by external application of Chinese herbal ointment at the trigger point. Patients in the thunder-fire moxibustion group were treated with thunder-fire moxibustion. Patients in the combined therapy group were treated with thunder-fire moxibustion combined with external application of Chinese herbal ointment at the trigger point. All patients were treated for 28 consecutive days. Clinical efficacy was compared among the three groups. Before and after treatment, the Visual Analogue Scale score, local tenderness score, Oswestry Disability Index score and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score were compared among the three groups. Results:Total response rate (96.67%) in the combined therapy group was significantly higher than 73.33% in the thunder-fire moxibustion group and 66.67% in the Chinese herbal ointment group ( χ2 = 9.01, 4.70, both P < 0.05). Visual Analogue Scale score and local tenderness score in the combined therapy group were (1.96 ± 0.93) points and (1.00 ± 0.69) points, respectively, which were significantly lower than (2.43 ± 0.87) points and (1.37 ± 0.56) points in the thunder-fire moxibustion group and (2.77 ± 0.86) points and (1.50 ± 0.57) points in the Chinese herbal ointment group ( F = 6.22, 5.38, both P < 0.05). The Oswestry Disability Index score in the combined therapy group was (19.80 ± 3.80) points, which was significantly lower than (22.30 ± 2.82) points in the thunder-fire moxibustion group and (23.60 ± 3.71) points in the Chinese herbal ointment group ( F = 9.07, both P < 0.05). After treatment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score in the combined therapy group was (5.30 ± 1.12) points, which was significantly lower than (6.50 ± 1.33) points in the thunder-fire moxibustion group and (6.73 ± 1.41) points in the Chinese herbal ointment group ( F = 10.59, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Thunder-fire moxibustion combined with external application of Chinese herbal ointment at the trigger point is highly effective on lumbodorsal myofascial pain syndrome of cold-damp stagnation type than monotherapy. The combined therapy can markedly reduce pain and greatly improve lumbodorsal function and sleep quality.
2.Effects of forest therapy on human physical and mental health: A meta-analysis
Guangmei DUAN ; Liwei FAN ; Wanning BU ; Jiaxin LYU ; Yan CAI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(2):175-183
Background With urbanization and residential space expansion, ecological environment and human health issues have become hot social topics. Forest health, as a way of seeking health in nature, has begun to receive public attention in the context of the gradually increasing sub-healthy population and various psychological and physical diseases at a young age. Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of forest therapy on selected physical and mental health indicators. Methods Relevant research literature was retrieved from domestic and international databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Biomedical Literature Service System, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library), with a time range from database establishment to January 31, 2023. Relevant data were extracted for meta-analysis to explore the relationship between forest therapy and selected psychological and physiological indicators. Results A total of 85 articles were included, and the meta-analysis results showed that better scores of Profile of Mood States, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and State Trait Anxiety Scale were found in the forest group than those in the urban group (P<0.05); the levels of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, sympathetic nerve indicator [ln (LF/HF)], salivary cortisol, and serum inflammatory factors were lower in the forest group than in the urban group, while parasympathetic nerve indicator [ln (HF)] level was higher in the forest group than in the urban group (P<0.05). The results of subgroup analysis showed that the changes in heart rate (SMD=−1.62, 95%CI: −2.41, −0.82), ln (HF) (SMD=1.29, 95%CI: 0.73, 1.85), ln (LF/HF) (SMD=−1.49, 95%CI: −2.13, −0.86), and salivary cortisol (SMD=−0.53, 95%CI: −0.81, −0.25) were more significant when the duration of forest therapy was ≤ 0.5 h, the recovery effect on emotional state was better in the >0.5~3 h group (such as tension SMD=−2.40, 95%CI: −3.21, 1.59), and the reduction effects on systolic blood pressure (SMD=−0.53, 95%CI: −1.03, −0.03) and diastolic blood pressure (SMD=−0.42, 95%CI: −0.88, 0.04) were better in the >3 h group. Seated meditation showed better recovery effects on multiple indicators of Profile of Mood States (such as fatigue SMD=−2.26, 95%CI: −3.07, −1.45), while walking showed better recovery effects on physiological indicators such as blood pressure (systolic blood pressure SMD=−0.57, 95%CI: −1.07, −0.06; diastolic blood pressure SMD=−0.72, 95%CI: −1.36, −0.07) and heart rate (SMD=−1.51, 95%CI: −2.38, -0.64). Except for blood pressure, the health benefits of forest therapy in the younger age group were generally better than those in the middle-aged and elderly group. Conclusion Relaxed and comfortable psychological feeling is reported when practicing forest therapy; it can lower blood pressure and heart rate, regulate the autonomic nervous system; it can also reduce the release of stress hormones and lower serum levels of inflammatory factors, exerting an auxiliary recovery effect on cardiovascular and immune system disorders. At the same time, the therapy duration, form, and age of the subjects have a certain impact on the effects of forest therapy practice.
3.Own experience on acupuncture sensation.
Yanzhuang SONG ; Hongbing SUN ; Xiliang LI ; Jian-E ZHONG ; Liwei BU ; Xuequan SUN
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2018;38(8):853-856
To summarize professor 's own experience on the acupuncture sensation. Professor puts forward his opinion through the sensation of acupuncture on himself, from the aspects of the expression, the material basis, the distinction and the clinical significance of acupuncture sensation, etc. Professor thinks that the production and conduction direction of acupuncture sensation have their material basis and objectively exist, based on which, professor puts forward the amount of acupuncture stimulation and the total amount of acupuncture stimulation. Professor believes that the amount of acupuncture stimulation is the main basis for the individual reinforcing and reducing of acupuncture. The amount of acupuncture stimulation is related to the depth and intensity of acupuncture, the time of the needle retention, the number of needles, etc. The reinforcing and reducing of acupuncture are relative to the deficiency and excess of the disease, and they are the reaction of acupuncture for body. The tolerance degree of the individual to the stimulation of acupuncture is also the main factor affecting the reinforcing and reducing.