The paper introduces Professor FANG Yigong 's experience in treating pelvic congestion syndrome with acupuncture. Professor FANG believes that the stagnation in the thoroughfare and conception vessels, retarded circulation of qi and blood, and the obstruction of blood flow in the uterus are implicated in the pathogenesis of pelvic congestion syndrome. In clinical practice, according to the pathogenesis, focusing on regulating the functions of the thoroughfare and conception vessels, the thinking of treatment is summarized as "resolving the stasis and stopping pain by regulating the thoroughfare and conception vessels", "selecting the points based on their indications" and "tranquilizing the mind and harmonizing the physical and mental states". The main points are Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24), Benshen (GB13), Zhongwan (CV12), Tianshu (ST25), Guanyuan (CV4), Dahe (KI12), and Zigong (EX-CA1). The supplementary points are used in terms of the etiology and symptoms. During acupuncture, attention should be paid to the application of Xiaoyao Tiaoshen technique of acupuncture and mutual harmonization of the mind in acupuncture operator and patient. This summary may provide a new approach to the treatment of pelvic congestion syndrome.
Female ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; History, 21st Century ; Pelvic Pain/therapy* ; Pelvis/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of "Zhibian" (BL54)-toward-"Shuidao" (ST28) needling technique on the relative protein expression of the signaling pathway of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1)/ receptor-interacting protein 2 (RIP2)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the rats with primary dysmenorrhea (PD), so as to explore the underlying mechanism of this acupuncture technique for pain alleviation in PD. METHODS: Thirty female SD rats of SPF grade with normal estrous cycle were randomized into a blank group, a model group and an acupuncture group, 10 rats in each one. Using the intraperitoneal injection with estradiol benzoate combined with oxytocin, PD model was prepared in the model group and the acupuncture group. In the acupuncture group, during model preparation, the intervention with "Zhibian" (BL54)-toward-"Shuidao" (ST28) needling technique was delivered simultaneously, 20 min each time, once daily for consecutive 10 days. On day 11, within 30 min after the intraperitoneal injection with oxytocin, the writhing reaction (latency, frequency and score) was recorded; the morphology of uterine tissue was observed with HE staining, the contents of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the serum were detected using ELISA method; the relative protein expression of NOD1, RIP2, NF-κB p65, phosphorylation-NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65) was detected in the uterine tissue using Western blot method; and the mRNA expression of NOD1, RIP2 and NF-κB p65 was detected with the quantitative real-time PCR employed. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, in the model group, the writhing latency was prolonged (P<0.01), the writhing frequency and score increased (P<0.01) in the rats; the endometrial epithelial cells showed massive degeneration and necrosis, with severe endometrial edema and widespread shedding, combined with neutrophil infiltration; the serum PGE₂ content was dropped (P<0.01), while those of PGF_2α, IL-1β, IL-18, COX-2, and TNF-α elevated (P<0.01); the protein expression of NOD1, RIP2, NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB p65, and the mRNA expression of NOD1, RIP2 and NF-κB p65 in uterine tissue increased (P<0.01). In comparison with the model group, in the acupuncture group, the writhing latency was prolonged (P<0.01), the writhing frequency and score were reduced (P<0.01) in the rats; there was less degeneration and necrosis of endometrial epithelial cells, with mild endometrial edema and very little neutrophil infiltration; the serum PGE₂ content increased (P<0.01), while those of PGF_2α, IL-1β, IL-18, COX-2, and TNF-α decreased (P<0.01); the protein expression of NOD1, RIP2, NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NOD1, RIP2 and NF-κB p65 in uterine tissue were dropped (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION "Zhibian" (BL54)-toward-"Shuidao" (ST28) needling technique can alleviate the pain symptom of PD rats, and its action mechanism may be related to inhibiting the active expression of NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway in the uterine tissue, thereby reducing the inflammatory response.
Animals ; Female ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Dysmenorrhea/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Acupuncture Analgesia ; Nod1 Signaling Adaptor Protein/metabolism* ; Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinase 2/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Therapy

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture at yinsanzhen combined with auricular point sticking on primary dysmenorrhea (PDM). METHODS: Sixty patients with PDM were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. Patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at yinsanzhen combined with auricular point sticking. The acupuncture was given at yinsanzhen (Guanyuan [CV4] and bilateral Guilai [ST29], Sanyinjiao [SP6]) once daily for 5 consecutive days. Auricular point sticking was applied to gan (CO₁₂), shen (CO₁₀), neifenmi (CO₁₈), etc. every other day, alternated between ears, totaling 3 sessions. All treatments were started 5 days before menstruation. Patients in the control group were treated with ibuprofen sustained-release capsules on the first day of menstruation for 3 consecutive days. Both groups were treated for 3 menstrual cycles. The scores of Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment and at the second menstrual cycle after treatment completion (follow-up). The serum contents of prostaglandin (PG) F2α and PGE2 were detected before and after treatment, and the clinical effect and safety of the two groups were evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment and during follow-up, the CMSS severity and duration scores and VAS scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05 ), and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum contents of PGF2α were decreased, and the contents of PGE2 were increased (P<0.05) in the two groups. The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), which was higher than 80.0% (24/30) of the control group (P<0.05). There were no adverse reactions in both groups. CONCLUSION Yinsanzhen combined with auricular point sticking can effectively improve the pain symptoms, relieve the degree of pain and shorten the duration of pain in patients with PDM, which may play a therapeutic role by reducing the content of serum PGF2α and increasing the content of serum PGE2.
Humans ; Female ; Dysmenorrhea/therapy* ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Treatment Outcome ; Adolescent ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy

A scoping review was performed to systematically search and summarize the clinical research in the treatment of dysmenorrhea with oral Chinese patent medicines. The oral Chinese patent medicines for treating dysmenorrhea in three major drug lists, guidelines, and textbooks were screened, and the relevant clinical trials were retrieved from eight Chinese and English databases. The key information of the included trials was extracted and visually analyzed. A total of 50 Chinese patent medicines were included, among which oral Chinese patent medicines for the dysmenorrhea patients with the syndrome of Qi stagnation and blood stasis accounted for the highest proportion, and the average daily cost varied greatly among Chinese patent medicines. A total of 150 articles were included, involving 22 Chinese patent medicines, among which Guizhi Fuling Capsules/Pills, Sanjie Zhentong Capsules, and Dan'e Fukang Soft Extract were the most frequently studied. These articles mainly reported randomized controlled trial(RCT), which mainly focused on the comparison of the intervention effect between Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicine and western medicine alone, and the sample size was generally 51-100 cases. The high-frequency outcome indicators belonged to nine domains such as effective rate, adverse reactions, and laboratory examinations. This study showed that oral Chinese patent medicines had advantages in the treatment of dysmenorrhea, and the annual number of related clinical trials showed an overall growing trend. However, there were still problems such as insufficient safety information and vague description of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes types in the instructions of Chinese patent medicines. The available clinical research had shortcomings such as uneven distribution of Chinese patent medicines, limited research scale, poor methodological rigor, and insufficient standardization of outcome indicators. In the future, it is necessary to deepen the development of high-quality clinical research and improve the contents of the instructions to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the clinical application of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.
Dysmenorrhea/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Female ; Administration, Oral ; Nonprescription Drugs/administration & dosage*

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of shockwave therapy, acupuncture, hyperthermia, biofeedback therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, magnetotherapy and ultrasound therapy in the treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS), and to provide evidence-based support for clinical decision-making. METHODS: Two researchers independently searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases for randomized controlled trials(RCTs) on the effects of different interventions on CP/CPPS from the establishment of the databases to August 2024. We evaluated the quality of the included literature and extracted the relevant data according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, followed by network meta-analysis using Revman 5.3, R 4.33 and Stata17 software. RESULTS: A total of 25 RCTs involving 1 794 cases were included. The results of network meta-analysis showed that electrical nerve stimulation, shockwave therapy, biofeedback therapy, magnetotherapy, ultrasound therapy and acupuncture were significantly superior to conventional medication and placebo in the total NIH-CPSI scores(P< 0.05), and so were electrical nerve stimulation and shockwave therapy to acupuncture and hyperthermia(P< 0.05), magnetic therapy to hyperthermia, and ultrasound therapy to placebo(P< 0.05). Shockwave therapy, biofeedback therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, magnetotherapy and ultrasound therapy achieved remarkably better clinical efficacy than conventional medication and placebo in the treatment of CP/CPPS, and so did shockwave therapy than electrical nerve stimulation, hyperthermia, ultrasonic therapy, magnetotherapy and acupuncture. CONCLUSION For the treatment of CP/CPPS, electrical nerve stimulation is advantageous over the other interventions in improving total NIH-CPSI scores, and shockwave therapy is advantageous in relieving pain symptoms and clinical efficacy. This conclusion, however, needs to be further verified by more high-quality clinical studies.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Disease ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy ; Magnetic Field Therapy ; Pelvic Pain/therapy* ; Prostatitis/therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Ultrasonic Therapy

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of altitude on NIH-CPSI score in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS) Methods: Clinical data and the results of NIH-CPSI Questionnaire of the 321 patients with CP/CPPS at different altitudes were collected from March 2021 to March 2022. And the influence of altitudes on NIH-CPSI score of CP/CPPS was analyzed. RESULT: The NIH-CPSI score of patients living at an altitude of 4 300 m was significantly higher than that of patients living at an altitude of 1 500 m and 2 200 m. The CP/CPPS patients who lived in the higher altitude had more severe symptoms of pain and urination as well as lower scores of life quality (P<0.05). CONCLUSION NIH-CPSI score increased significantly with higher altitude, indicating more severe symptoms and decreased quality of life in CP/CPPS patients. These findings highlight the need for management strategies for specific heights in patients with CP/CPPS.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis ; Altitude ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Pelvic Pain ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Middle Aged

This article summarizes Professor TIAN Conghuo's key points and features of acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhea. Professor TIAN believes that the location of dysmenorrhea is in the uterus, and the fundamental pathogenesis is the disharmony of both form and spirit. During clinical treatment, he first conducts abdominal palpation, often detecting cord-like nodules around Guilai (ST 29), Huangshu (KI 16), and Zigong (EX-CA 1). Needling reaches the depth of these nodules. Additionally, the use of four acupoints around the navel (Shuifen [CV 9], bilateral Huangshu (KI 16), and Yinjiao [CV 7]), and four back-shu points (Ganshu [BL 18], Pishu [BL 20], Shenshu [BL 23], and Geshu [BL 17]) is applied to regulate the spirit and strengthen the body. Point selection is further based on syndrome differentiation. The "Three layers" needling technique is used, emphasizing the mental and emotional state of the patients, calming the spirit and regulating qi and blood, to achieve a harmonious treatment of both form and spirit for dysmenorrhea.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Dysmenorrhea/therapy*

Objective: To determine the impact of endometriosis on the quality of life, risk of anxiety and depression among Filipino women in a tertiary hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 patients aged 18-50 diagnosed clinically and sonographically with pelvic endometriosis. Verbal and written consent were secured. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the baseline characteristics of the population. Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was used to assess the degree of pain symptoms of the patients. WHO Quality of Life Tool (WHOQOL-BREF), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) in Filipino version were used to evaluate the quality of life, anxiety and depression of the respondents. Series of paired t-tests were performed to determine the differences in the average outcomes (i.e. level of depression, anxiety, quality of life and subscales, pain scores and types of pain). McNemar’s chi-square test was utilized to determine the differences in the frequency of mild to severe anxiety and depression before and after treatment. Spearman’s rho rank correlation was performed to determine the relationship of the level of pain to the outcome measures. One-way analysis of variance was performed to determine differences in the current mean levels of depression, anxiety, quality of life and its subscales across disease conditions (i.e. endometriosis alone, myoma uteri, adenomyosis, other gynecologic conditions, infertility). The level of significance was set at a p-value < 0.05 using two-tailed comparison. Results: The most common symptoms reported were the presence of dysmenorrhea (90.95%) and pelvic pain (88.57%), which were both rated at pain scale 8/10. Majority (73.8%) of patients have some form of depression (mild-28.57%, moderate-27.13%, severe-13.33%, very severe-4.76%) with an average level of depression at 12.39 ± 6.5. Majority (54.76%) of patients likewise have some form of anxiety (mild-15.24%, moderate-20.95%, severe-18.57%) with an average level of anxiety at 15.44 ± 10.38. Depression and anxiety scores significantly decreased after medical treatment. In terms of overall quality of life and perceived level of health, respondents demonstrated an average score of 3.25 ± 0.91 and 2.86 ± 0.96, respectively. These post-treatment scores showed significant improvement from baseline. The sub-domains (i.e. physical, psychological, social and environmental) also have relatively high scores ranging from 13.44 ± 2.39 to 15.60 ± 2.63. These are indicative of very satisfactory quality of life.Other gynecologic conditions, such as infertility, myoma uteri, and adenomyosis, do not contribute significantly to the outcomes measured. Conclusion Pelvic endometriosis is a chronic, life-long, inflammatory disease that presents mainly as pelvic pain. This debilitating pain can significantly affect patients’ psychological well-being and mental health, which is manifested by the very high incidence of anxiety and depression among Filipino women with endometriosis. Management of endometriosis is complex, hence a multi-disciplinary approach that includes psychiatric counseling may be necessary.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Pelvic Pain ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVE: To observe the skin surface microcirculation of acupoints of conception vessel, governor vessel and thoroughfare vessel in patients with primary dysmenorrhea using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), and provide acupoint selection basis of acupuncture-moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS: Ninety-nine healthy female college students with regular menstrual cycles (normal group) and 94 female college students with primary dysmenorrhea (dysmenorrhea group) were recruited. Before menstrual period, on the first day of menstruation, and on the third day after menstruation, LSCI was used to observe the surface microcirculation at the abdominal acupoints of conception vessel, i. e. Yinjiao (CV 7), Qihai (CV 6), Shimen (CV 5), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3) and Qugou (CV 2), acupoints of thoroughfare vessel, i. e. Huangshu (KI 16), Zhongzhu (KI 15), Siman (KI 14), Qixue (KI 13), Dahe (KI 12), Henggu (KI 11) and acupoints of lumbosacral region of governor vessel, i. e. Xuanshu (GV 5), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Yaoshu (GV 2) as well as two non-acupoints. RESULTS: Before menstrual period, there was no significant difference in the surface blood perfusion of the acupoints between the dysmenorrhea group and the normal group (P>0.05). On the first day of menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of Xuanshu (GV 5), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and right Huangshu (KI 16) in the dysmenorrhea group was higher than that in the normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On the third day after menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of the right Henggu (KI 11) in the dysmenorrhea group was lower than that in the normal group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION In patients with primary dysmenorrhea, on the first day of menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of Xuanshu (GV 5), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) of governor vessel, and the right Huangshu (KI 16) of thoroughfare vessel is increased, while on the third day after menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of the right Henggu (KI 11) of thoroughfare vessel is decreased. These findings might provide a basis for acupoint selection in the acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.
Humans ; Female ; Microcirculation ; Dysmenorrhea/therapy* ; Menstrual Cycle ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy