Cancer pain is one of the commonly-seen main clinical symptoms for the terminal cancer patient, and severely influences quality of life of the patient, which needs to be solved urgently. Application of analgesics is limited by its addiction and side effects. Acupuncture as one of TCM therapies with advantages of safety, effectiveness and no side effect is playing an important role in treatment of cancer pain. This article reviews recent 10 years' acupuncture and moxibustion methods for treatment of cancer pain, so as to better guide acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of cancer pain and provide necessary research data for future studies.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; Pain, Intractable ; therapy

According to the comparison between Ashi points and trigger points, a modern medical explanation that trigger points could be considered as a special Ashi points was put forward, and a further investigation on the enlightenment of theory and practice of trigger points to the pathological specificity, positioning and the intervention methods of trigger points was as follows: Ashi points could be central trigger points, whose pathology is degeneration and contracture of sarcomere; it is not always in the area of pain, while the signs of pain may be helpful for its stereotaxic positioning; the intervention methods of Ashi and trigger points can be learned from each other. This is a new angle of view on Ashi points, which has contributed to the exploration and improvement of its theory and practice.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Pain ; physiopathology ; Pain Management ; Trigger Points ; physiopathology

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CPPS) which is also named by chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is a common urologic disease. This disease could not be treated effectively and affects the living quality of the patients. This article reviews the progress on the CPPS about its definition, classification, etiology (e.g. immunology), diagnosis and treatment in recent years.
Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Pelvic Pain ; immunology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Prostatitis ; immunology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Syndrome

To review the literature of acupuncture at trigger point for myofascial pain syndrome from the main selected points (trigger point), the mechanism of Chinese medicine and modern research and its clinical application. The results show that acupuncture at trigger point has significant effect on the myofascial pain syndrome, which could be influenced by the type of needle, manipulation, insertion angle and depth of the needles. However, the involved studies at present are still far from enough and lack of systematic study with multivariate analysis, it is needed to be improved that some problems about the clinical diagnosis and basic research.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Humans ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Trigger Points ; physiopathology

Professor -'s academic idea of "pain in joint and disorder in tendon region of meridian" was explored in this paper. According to the particular characteristics of the occurrence and development of the disease, knee arthralgia is divided into 4 stages, named tendon spasm, tendon blockage, tendon contraction and tendon atrophy. It is proposed that "tendon disorder results in bone disorder", implying the relationship between the disorders of tendon and bone. It is pointed that insufficiency occurs throughout knee arthralgia. "The tendon disorder should be treated at the first-line procedure for the bone disorder, and the tendon softening benefits the recovery of knee joints". The treatment principle includes "removing obstruction from meridian, eliminating pathogen, warming up and softening tendon". In clinical application, the heat-sensitive moxibustion is predominated. The various regimens are developed align with the pathogenesis characteristics of the disease at different stages.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Arthralgia ; therapy ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; physiopathology ; Meridians ; Moxibustion ; Pain ; Tendons ; physiopathology

Several reports of coccygodynia have been confined to the causes, the methods of treatment, and the methods of radiological examination. As far as we know, there has been no previous study about the objective measurement of the coccyx. The purpose of this study was to find the possible cause of idiopathic coccygodynia by comparing the clinical and radiological differences between traumatic and idiopathic coccygodynia by innovative objective clinical and radiological measurements. Thirty-two patients with coccygodynia were evaluated retrospectively. We divided the patients into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 19 patients with traumatic coccygodynia and group 2 consisted of 13 patients with idiopathic coccygodynia. We reviewed medical records and checked age, sex distribution, symptoms, and treatment outcome in each group. We also reviewed coccyx AP and lateral views of plain radiological film and measured the number of coccyx segments and the intercoccygeal angle in each group. The intercoccygeal angle devised by the authors was defined as the angle between the first and last segment of the coccyx. We also checked the intercoccygeal angle in a normal control group, which consisted of 18 women and 2 men, to observe the reference value of the intercoccygeal angle. The outcome of treatment was assessed by a visual analogue scale based on the pain score. Statistical analysis was done with Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test. Group 1 consisted of 1 male and 18 female patients, while group 2 consisted of 2 male and 11 female patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the traumatic and idiopathic coccygodynia groups in terms of age (38.7 years versus 36.5 years), male/female sex ratio (1/18 versus 2/11), and the number of coccyx segments (2.9 versus 2.7). There were significant differences between the traumatic and idiopathic coccygodynia groups in terms of the pain score (pain on sitting: 82 versus 47, pain on defecation: 39 versus 87), the intercoccygeal angle (47.9 degree versus 72.2 degrees), and the satisfactory outcome of conservative treatment (47.4% versus 92.3%). The reference value of the intercoccygeal angle in the normal control group was 52.3 degrees, which was significantly different from that of the idiopathic group. In conclusion, the intercoccygeal angle of the idiopathic coccygodynia group was greater than that of the traumatic group and normal control group. Based on the results of this study, the increased intercoccygeal angle can be considered a possible cause of idiopathic coccygodynia. The intercoccygeal angle was a useful radiological measurement to evaluate the forward angulation deformity of the coccyx.
Adult ; Coccyx/radiography* ; Coccyx/physiopathology* ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Pain/therapy ; Pain/surgery ; Pain/radiography* ; Pain/physiopathology* ; Pain/etiology ; Spinal Injuries/complications ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion on chronic neck pain of cervical spondylosis in terms of the heart and kidney theory.

METHODSOne hundred and eleven cases were randomized into a heart-kidney acupuncture group (55 cases) and a conventional acupuncture group (56 cases). In the heart-kidney acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Bailao (EX-HN 15), Shenmen (HT 7) and Wangu (SI 4). Afterwards, the direct moxibustion was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Xinshu (BL 15) and Shenshu (BL 23). After moxibustion, the intradermal needling therapy was provided at Bailao (EX-HN 15), Xinshu (BL 15) and Shenshu (BL 23). In the conventional acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Bailao (EX-HN 15) and Zhongzhu (TE 3) at first. Afterwards, the direct moxibustion was done at Dazhui (GV 14), Bailao (EX-HN 15) and Jianzhongshu (SI 15). After moxibustion, the interdermal needling therapy was provided at Bailao (EX-HN 15) and Jianzhongshu (SI 15). The northwick park pain questionnaire (NPQ) was adopted as the main efficacy index for the evaluation.

RESULTSAfter the intervention and during the follow-up visit period, NPQ scores were all reduced remarkably as compared with those before the intervention for the patients in two groups (all P < 0.001), but the differences were not statistically significant in groups (all P > 0.05). By the age stratification analysis for the patients in two groups, the program in terms of the heart and kidney theory achieved the superior efficacy for the patients over 45 years old as compared with those in the conventional acupuncture group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). By the stratification analysis of the sick duration, the program in terms of the heart and kidney theory achieved the superior efficacy for the patients with over 7 years sick duration as compared with those in the conventional acupuncture group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture and moxibustion therapeutic program in terms of the heart and kidney theory achieves the superior efficacy on chronic pain of cervical spondylosis for the patients over 45 years old and with over 7 years sick duration. It is one of the optimized programs for the treatment of this disease.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; therapy ; Female ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Neck Pain ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Spondylosis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore effects of 650 nm laser and moxibustion pretreatment on visceral traction pain (VTP) and its mechanism.

METHODSForty male SD rats were randomly devided into a sham operation group (group A), a VTP group (group B), a 650 nm laser pretreatment group (group C), a moxibustion pretreatment group (group D). Rats in group A and group B were not treated except sham operation or VTP model. In group C and D, the VTP models were produced immediate after 650 nm laser irradiation or moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST 36), respectively. The changes of pain score and systolic pressure were investigated and the activity of AChE, the content of SP and leu-enkephaline (LEK), and the positive index of c-Fos protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by biochemistry, radio-immunity method and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTSCompared with group A, the pain score, systolic pressure, the activity of AChE, the content of SP, and the positive index of c-Fos protein and GFAP of group B increased significantly (all P < 0.05); compared with group B, the pain score, AChE activity, the content of SP and the positive index of c-Fos protein and GFAP of both group C and group D decreased significantly (all P < 0.05); compared with group B, the content of LEK increased and systolic pressure decreased significantly in group C (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBoth 650 nm laser and moxibustion pretreatment can inhibit VTP and the mechanism may be related to reducing the activity of AChE and the content of SP, and increasing the activity of LEK and decreasing the expression of c-Fos protein and GFAP.

Animals ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Enteric Nervous System ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Laser Therapy ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Pain ; physiopathology ; Pain Management ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To compare the effect of cold or room temperature of tumescence anesthesia solution on pain perception during and after endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) for varicose veins of lower limb.
 Methods: A total of 51 patients with lower extremity varicose vein were treated by EVLA with tumescence anesthesia solution. All patients were used for local anesthesia and randomly divided into 2 groups according to the temperature of tumescence anesthesia solution: Group A (n=26) with room temperature (24 ℃) of tumescence anesthesia solution and Group B (n=25) with cold (4 ℃) tumescence anesthesia solution. Number rating scale (NRS) was recorded immediately after the procedure and postoperative 1, 2, 3 day. Patients were asked to register pain scores during the week.
 Results: The mean linear endovenous energy density (LEED) in the 2 groups was not significantly different (P>0.05). The ratio of patients without pain during the operation in the Group A was lower than that in the Group B (30.8% vs 64%, P<0.05). On the day of operation and postoperative day 1, 2, 3, the average number rating scale (NRS) scores in the Group A were greater than those in the Group B (P<0.05). Postoperative day 1, only 30.8% of the patients in the Group A resumed daily activities, which was lower than that (68% of the patients) in the Group B.
 Conclusion: In the process of EVLA for varicose veins of lower limb, there is less pain during operation and post-operation using cold tumescence anesthesia solution comparing room temperature tumescence anesthesia solution.
Anesthesia ; methods ; Cold Temperature ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; physiopathology ; Laser Therapy ; Lower Extremity ; Pain Measurement ; Pain Perception ; physiology ; Pain, Postoperative ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Varicose Veins ; physiopathology ; surgery

Cancer pain is complex and multifactorial. Most cancer pain can be effectively controlled using analgesics in accordance to the WHO analgesic ladder. However, in a small but significant percentage of cancer patients, systemic analgesics fail to provide adequate control of cancer pain. These cancer patients can also suffer from intolerable adverse effects of drug therapy or intractable cancer pain in advance disease. Though the prognosis of these cancer patients is often very limited, the pain relief, reduced medical costs and improvement in function and quality of life from a wide variety of available interventional procedures is extremely invaluable. These interventions can be used as sole agents or as useful adjuncts to supplement analgesics. This review will discuss interventional procedures such as epidural and intrathecal drug infusions, intrathecal neurolysis, sympathetic nervous system blockade, nerve blocks, vertebroplasty and the more invasive neurosurgical procedures. Intrathecal medications including opioids, local anaesthetics, clonidine, and ziconotide will also be discussed.
Analgesics ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Intractable ; drug therapy ; surgery