Purpose : To study and promote the practical use of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for the young, we investigated shoulder stiffiness in high school students.
Method : We surveyed 6, 251 students at twelve high schools in Kyoto, Japan about the prevalence and the characteristics of shoulder stiffness using our original questionnaire. We used chi-square test to compare the proportion of the respondents.
Result : Of the subjects we inquired, 5, 846 completed the questionnaire. The overall prevalence rate of shoulder stiffness was 65.3%. The sense of “languid” was 54.9% and “heavy” was 43.9%. While 11.5% of respondents considered their condition to be in tolerable 68.0% said it was “tolerable”. The result of crosstabulation showed that women were more likely to have the symptoms than men and the prevalence rate significantly increased as the academic grade increased.
Conclusion : The rate of shoulder stiffness, 65.3% was higher than we expected. And 12th grades had the most frequency of shoulder stiffness. We considered that the stresses at the graduation on to study hard to graduate are important factors of affecting from shoulder stiffness. The application of acupuncture and moxibustion may help relieve the symptoms among high school students.

Physical fitness of 900 volunteers over 60 years of age were analyzed using a 6-item battery test to obtain fundamental data on the fitness status of the aged Japanese. The test battery consisted of stepping, vertical jump, grip strength, breath holding, body flexion and one-leg balancing, and could be performed safely with relatively mild physical stress in the elderly after simple screening by measurement of resting blood pressure and oral check on mobility problems of the knee and the hip. Males showed significantly higher values in vertical jump, grip strength and breath holding, while females showed significantly higher values in body flexion. There were no sex differences in stepping and one-leg balancing. Lowing trend was found in the score with age in all items except breath holding, but the extent of the reduction differed among the measure elements of fitness. Most of measured items showed significant correlations each other. The values obtained with this test are considered to be useful for future analysis of the fitness of aged people and also to determine the exercise appropriate for them.

Chronic sciatica is one of the neuropathic pains which assumed to be effective for pregabalin. However, a recent double-blind placebo-controlled trial reported that pregabalin was no more effective than placebo in patients with acute or chronic sciatica. We retrospectively investigated the effect of Kampo medicine including makyoyokukanto extracts combined with powdered cinnamon bark and processed aconite root (makyoyokukanto plus) which were administered to 14 cases with chronic sciatica in the past year. The efficacy of Kampo medicine for lower leg pain relief was assessed using NRS (numerical rating scale). It was effective in 11 of 14 cases (79%, 6 males and 5 females, the mean age : 69), and not effective in 3 of 14 cases (21%, 2 males and 1 female, the mean age : 77). In 7 of 9 cases, who were given pregabalin before prescribing makyoyokukanto plus, makyoyokukanto plus was more effective than pregabalin. Furthermore, we have continued to observe 10 cases for over a year. Two of 10 cases were completely cured even if makyoyokukanto plus was discontinued. In 5 cases we switched from makyoyokukanto plus to yokuininto extracts combined with powdered cinnamon bark and processed aconite root, which was comparable to makyoyokukanto plus in its effect. Makyoyokukanto or yokuininto extracts combined with powdered cinnamon bark and processed aconite root were effective for chronic sciatica.

No abstract available.
Japan* ; Sporothrix* ; Sporotrichosis*

No abstract available.
Japan* ; Sporothrix* ; Sporotrichosis*

Objective : Carvedilol is a non-selective β blocker with an α blocking activity. Since this drug is highly fat-soluble, it can pass through the blood-brain barrier, and thus may induce depression and lower QOL. In the present study, physicians and pharmacists collaborated to evaluate the antihypertension effect of carvedilol and post-administration changes in QOL. Furthermore, the relationship between QOL and antihypertension effect was analyzed.
Design : Self-controlled study.
Patients and Methods : Subjects were outpatients with hypertension above the age of 70 years who visited one of 42 medical institutions in Japan between April 1995 and March 1996. A total of 243 patients were registered, and 10-20 mg of carvedilol was administered once a day for six months. Pharmacists assessed the QOL of these patients by asking 82 questions on three separate occasions : before administration and one and six months after administration. The antihypertensive effect of this drug was investigated in patients in whom all three QOL questionnaires were collected. The main test items were antihypertensive effect, changes in QOL (subjective QOL with a special emphasis on patient psychology), and the relationship between antihypertensive effect and QOL. The antihypertensive effect of this drug was statistically analyzed by a paired t-test, and changes in QOL were statistically analyzed using generalized estimating equations.
Results : All three QOL questionnaires were collected from a total of 146 patients. Their pre-administration systolic blood pressure was 159.6±1.4 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure 94.0±0.9 mmHg, and their blood pressure decreased significantly one month after the start of administration. This antihypertensive effect of carvedilol persisted, and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of these patients six months after the start of administration was 141.1±1.2 and 85.2±0.7 mmHg, respectively (significant decreases when compared to pre-administration levels ; both p<0.05).
Subjective QOL improved significantly after carvedilol administration. And, changes were not seen in sexual function. Changes in the five categories of subjective QOL were as follows : psychological stability, disease-induced inconvenience, and independence improved significantly after carvedilol administration, but changes were not seen in gratification or vitality. However, improvements in subjective QOL did not correlate with improvements in blood pressure.
Conclusions : The results of the present study showed that carvedilol improved QOL without negatively affecting sexual function. Subjective QOL reflects the psychological well-being of patients. In the present study, psychological stability, disease-induced inconvenience, and independence improved significantly, but changes were not seen in gratification or vitality. Since β blockers can suppress the central nervous system, they can reduce psychological stability, gratification and vitality. Even though carvedilol is highly fat-soluble, the results of non-clinical studies have shown that it does not suppress the central nervous system as much as propranolol. The results of the present study showed that carvedilol does not strongly suppress the central nervous system of humans. Moreover, significant changes in QOL were not seen between one and six months after the start of administration of carvedilol, suggesting that it is possible to estimate the QOL of patients on antihypertensive therapy after six months of administration by assessing their QOL one month after administration.