In recent years, the relationship between healthy life expectancy and exercise has been shown, and the same is also reported for the disabilities. However, we have not yet found any reports on the effects of exercise in children with lower extremity amputations. In this study, we had followed a seven-year-old boy who had undergone right knee rotationplasty for the Ewing's sarcoma, and studied the changes in his athletic abilities, bone density, and body composition with the use of a running-specific prosthesis (RSP). After becoming independent on walking with a daily-use prosthesis, he started using the RSP during exercise such as running. We measured the above parameters before the introduction of RSP, then again after one year use of the RSP. The results showed positive changes in all measurements: increased motor strength around hip, longer time on one leg standing test, increased one leg jump, faster walking speed, wider stride, improved bone density, and improved body compositions. The use of RSP's along with daily-use prostheses for children in their growth period may have favorable effects on their athletic abilities, bone densities, and body compositions.

In recent years, the relationship between healthy life expectancy and exercise has been shown, and the same is also reported for the disabilities. However, we have not yet found any reports on the effects of exercise in children with lower extremity amputations. In this study, we had followed a seven-year-old boy who had undergone right knee rotationplasty for the Ewing's sarcoma, and studied the changes in his athletic abilities, bone density, and body composition with the use of a running-specific prosthesis (RSP). After becoming independent on walking with a daily-use prosthesis, he started using the RSP during exercise such as running. We measured the above parameters before the introduction of RSP, then again after one year use of the RSP. The results showed positive changes in all measurements: increased motor strength around hip, longer time on one leg standing test, increased one leg jump, faster walking speed, wider stride, improved bone density, and improved body compositions. The use of RSP's along with daily-use prostheses for children in their growth period may have favorable effects on their athletic abilities, bone densities, and body compositions.

BACKGROUNDThere are few longitudinal studies on the associations of obesity with hypertension in young adults.

OBJECTIVESTo analyze longitudinally to what extent weight gain associates with hypertension in young adults.

METHODSThe subjects of this study consisted of 6,178 university students (male 4,098; female 2,080). The associations of hypertension with body type change were longitudinally examined by using the records of health examinations while at university. The prevalence ratios (PRs) for hypertension in their senior year were calculated on groups that changed toward obese against those that changed toward underweight. The logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension in their senior year of each factor. The analyses were conducted on (i) all subjects, (ii) non-hypertensive subjects in their freshman year, and (iii) by schools, in order to take into account physical activities.

RESULTSThe PRs of hypertension in subjects changed toward obese from their freshmen to seniors against ones toward underweight were 1.47 (95% CI; 1.00-2.15) for males and 3.50 (0.93-13.22) for females. In analyses limited to non-hypertensive subjects in their freshman year, results were similar to those of all subjects. The analyses by school also showed similar results to those including all subjects. In logistic regression analyses, although the factor most strongly associated with hypertension was body type in their senior year, the body type in their freshman still showed significant association with hypertension after the adjustment of senior year body type and hypertension in freshman year. The ORs for hypertension in obese subjects to normal weight ones in their senior year were 9.13 (95% CI; 5.77-14.45) for males and 22.59 (5.69-89.67) for females after adjusted by hypertension in freshman, body type in freshman and school.

CONCLUSIONSThese data suggest that the increase of BMI is linked to hypertension in university students.

We encountered two patients complaining of hiccups following the resection of subaural tumor or subarachnoid hemorrhage. In one patient, we measured the autunomic nerves of Ryodoraku, and placed grains of silver on Ryodoraku points which showed abnormal values. We also used the in situ needle technique on acupoints which were considered to be closely related to the phrenic nerve. Furthermore, we inserted round-head subcutaneous needles in auricular acupoints such as “Kaku”, “Shinmon”, “Hishitsuka”, and “Jichu”. After repeating the above treatment twice, the hiccups disappeared completely. In the other patient who had difficulty even taking off clothes, a subcutaneous needle was inserted into “Kaku”, which was repeated twice a week. After five months, the hiccups disappeared completely.
Based on our experience with the two patients above, we had the impression that auricular acupuncture is particularly effective. “Kaku” was the main acupoint used, which is believed to influence the diaphragm. We believe that this technique can therefore be used clinically in the future.

It is known that the prognosis of preductal type coarctation of the aorta is poor because cardiac malformation is frequent in these cases. There have been very few reports on adult cases of the coarctation. We have recently carried out aneurysmectomy and reconstructed the descending aorta by a 30mm Veri-Soft tube graft for one adult case of descending aortic aneurysm associated with coarctation of the aorta. The patient was 49-year-old female. Segmental stenosis 5cm in length was demonstrated in the thoracic descending aorta immediately below the bifurcation of the left subclavian artery. The poststenotic dilatation was shown at the distal portion of the segmental stenosis. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful.

A new therapy was recently developed by combining low frequency in situ needle acupuncture with Body Sonic Pad therapy. With this therapy, the patient lies on a bed fitted with Body Sonic Pads which vibrate slightly, in synchrony with the low-pitched sounds of the music which is played during the therapy. The patient listens to music and can feel the music-synchronized vibration of the pads while receiving in situ needle acupuncture. We recently assessed the effectiveness of this combined therapy.
The subjects were 30 patients with chronic shoulder stiffness who visited our department of anesthesiology. These patients received each of the following 5 treatments at different times in random order: (1) Method M (listening to music without any other therapy), (2) Method B (Body Sonic Pad therapy without listening to music), (3) Method MB (Body Sonic Pad therapy while listening to music), (4) Method L (conventional continuous low-frequency (3Hz) in situ needle acupuncture), and (5) Method MBL (continuous low-frequency (3Hz) in situ needle acupuncture combined with Body Sonic Pad therapy while listening to music). The direct therapeutic effect and the degree of comfort during treatment were compared among these five methods. The acupuncture therapy for shoulder stiffness consisted of stimulating the standard points in the shoulder and neck region with 30mm acupuncture needles (No. 20). The electrical stimulation lasted for 20 minutes. The music used for Body Sonic Pad therapy was primarily classical music selected according to the desire of the patients. The effectiveness was rated by the patients on a 4-point scale (markedly effective, effective, slightly effective and ineffective). Effective or markedly effective cases were regarded as responding to the therapy. The level of comfort during treatment was rated on an 11-point scale.
The number of patients who responded to the therapy was 7 (23%) for Method M, 6 (20%) for Method B, 10 (34%) for Method MB, 18 (60%) for Method L and 23 (77%) in Method MBL. The response rate was significantly higher for Method MBL when compared to Method M or MB. The mean level of comfort during treatment (rated on a visual analog scale; 0=most uncomfortable; 10=most comfortable) was 6.3±2.1 for Method M, 6.0±2.1 for Method B, 7.0±1.6 for Method MB, 7.2±1.9 for Method L and 8.3±1.6 for Method MBL. Thus, low frequency in situ needle acupuncture combined with Body sonic Pad therapy was slightly superior to the other therapies.

During the 23 years since this pain clinic was founded, 29, 458 patients have been treated here (about 385, 000 patient visits in total). In the earlier days, patients with whiplash injury (posttraumatic neck syndrome) were predominant. More males than females visited our clinic in those earlier days. Several years after this clinic opened, the percentage of female patients became higher (55% or more) than the percentage of male patients. Reflecting the social trend of an increase in the percentage of elderly people in the total population, the percentage of patients between 60 and 80 years of age has been increasing. Patients who visit this clinic live primarily in Osaka Prefecture. However, it is not uncommon that patients living in other prefectures of the Kinki district visit this clinic. Although patients visit our clinic because of various complaints, they often suffer from chronic, intractable complaints, such as low back pain, combined pain of the lower back and legs, and postherapuetic neuralgia. They often visit our clinic as a last resort for healing, after having consulted many other institutions. The duration of sickness among patients who visit our clinic is long (often over 5 years). Although the methods of treatment and the patients' responses vary, depending on their diseases, the combination of nerve block with acupuncture seems to be more effective on pain. We have utilized various techniques of acupuncture, including the in situ needle acupuncture, low-frequency therapy, SSP therapy, laser therapy and hyperthermia.

In the present paper, we examined differences in therapeutic effectivenesses of venous methods of acupuncture, ranging from filiform needle to EAP, LFEA, laser and SSP, in cases with shoulder stiffness. The immediate and delayed effect of each method, comfortableness during treatment session, changes in temperature, blood flow, and the oxygen density at the Jianjing and Hegu point were examined.
Significant improvement was seen in every therapeutic method. Electrical acupuncture using direct current was most effective. No difference were evident among SSP, low-frequencey electro-acupuncture and filiform needle. There was a correlation between confortableness and the improvement rate in electrical acupuncture using direct current and laser acupuncture. Deep temperature, blood flow and the degree of oxygen saturation of the stimulated part tended to increasd in each case.

Various acupuncture stimulations were given to a 60 year-old housewife with a distinct meridian phenomenon to observe subsequent PSM. Clear PSM was induced either by finger pressure, press needle or low frequency press needle stimulation of Guanchong (terminal point). Scarless moxibustion applied to a source point induced clearer PSM than that to a terminal point. Comparing the propagating speeds of the PSM induced by press needle stimulations of the terminal points of the twelve meridians, those of liver, kidney and spleeen were the fastest (about 70cm/sec) and those of heart and large intestine were the slowest (1cm/sec). The propagation of PSM was blocked by 50-60mmHg of manchette pressure or by about 400g/cm local pressure using a pressure meter.

The therapeutic effect of a cordless mini TENS on shoulder stiffness and painful diseases and patients' favorite intensity of stimulation were studied. Effect of this apparatus on peripheral circulation was also examind using a laser Doppler measuring instrument. The 114 cases with shoulder stiffness used the TENS only once (SS group), and the 53 cases continuasly (SC group). The 65 cases with painful diseases used the TENS only once (PS group) and the 53 cases continuasly (PC group). A great majority of the patients prefered stimulation with moderate frequency and high intensity. Effectiveness was seen in 76% of SS group and 87% of SC group, and in 75% of PS group and 91% of PC group. Peripheral circulation was significantly increased after the stimulation of the apparatus.