OBJECTIVE: To observe the immediate analgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with diclofenac sodium on acute gouty arthritis (AGA). METHODS: A total of 90 patients with AGA were randomly divided into a low-dose medication (LM) group (30 cases, 1 case was eliminated, 1 case dropped off), a conventional medication (CM) group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a combination of acupuncture and medication (AM) group (30 cases ). The LM group was given oral administration of 50 mg diclofenac sodium sustained-release capsule; the CM group was given oral administration of 100 mg diclofenac sodium sustained-release capsule; on the basis of the treatment of LM group, the AM group was treated with electroacupuncture at ashi points, Dadu (SP 2), Taichong (LR 3), Taibai (SP 3), Neiting (ST 44), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Yinlingquan (SP 9) on the affected side, and Taichong (LR 3) and Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Yinlingquan (SP 9) were connected to electroacupuncture respectively, continuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of pain before treatment and after 10 min, 2 h, 4 h and 6 h of treatment completion, joint tenderness and swelling scores before treatment and after 10 min and 6 h of treatment completion were compared, and the rate of diclofenac sodium addition within 24 h after treatment completion was recorded among the three groups. RESULTS: After 10 min of treatment completion, the scores of VAS, joint tenderness and joint swelling in the AM group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the VAS score in the AM group was lower than that in the other two groups (P<0.05). After 2, 4 and 6 h of treatment completion, the VAS scores of the three groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the scores in the AM group were lower than those in the LM group (P<0.05). After 6 h of treatment completion, the joint tenderness scores of the three groups and the joint swelling scores of the AM group and the CM group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the joint tenderness and swelling scores of the AM group were lower than those of the LM group (P<0.05). The rate of diclofenac sodium addition was 3.3 % (1/30) and 3.4 % (1/29) in the AM group and the CM group, respectively, which were lower than 17.9% (5/28) in the LM group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture combined with diclofenac sodium have a good immediate analgesic effect in the treatment of AGA, and have the advantages of small dosage of analgesic drugs and less adverse reactions.
Humans ; Diclofenac ; Electroacupuncture ; Arthritis, Gouty/drug therapy* ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Arthralgia

OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical efficacy of moxibustion as an adjunctive treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on conventional medication and its effects on serum sclerostin (SOST) and β-catenin levels, exploring the potential mechanisms by which moxibustion may protect joint bones in RA patients. METHODS: Seventy-six RA patients were randomly divided into an observation group (38 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a control group (38 cases, 4 cases were eliminated, 2 cases dropped out). The patients in the control group were treated with conventional oral medication; based on the treatment of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with moxibustion. The direct moxibustion was applied at Zusanli (ST 36) on both sides and ashi points around small joints, and indirect moxibustion was applied at Shenshu (BL 23) on both sides and ashi points around large joints. The treatment was given three times a week for a total of 5 weeks. The count of pain and swollen joint, morning stiffness score, disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) score, and serum levels of SOST, β-catenin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were evaluated before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared those before treatment, after treatment, both groups showed a reduction in pain and swollen joint count (P<0.01, P<0.05), morning stiffness, DAS28, VAS, and HAQ scores (P<0.01, P<0.05), with the observation group having lower scores than the control group (P<0.01). Serum levels of SOST, β-catenin, and TNF-α after treatment in the observation group were lower than those in both before treatment and the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the difference in serum β-catenin levels before and after treatment and the difference in serum SOST (r=0.578, P<0.001) and TNF-α (r=0.403, P<0.05) levels in the observation group. CONCLUSIONS In addition to medication, moxibustion as an adjunctive treatment could significantly alleviate joint pain and reduce disease activity in RA patients, suggesting a potential role in joint protection. This mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the inflammatory factor TNF-α, regulation of β-catenin levels, and reduction in the production of the endogenous negative regulator protein SOST within the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; beta Catenin ; Acupuncture Points ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/therapy* ; Arthralgia ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of children with chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO), and raise awareness among clinicians. Methods: In this retrospective study, 18 patients with CNO who were diagnosed in Children's Hospital of Fudan University from January 2015 to December 2021 were included. Results: Eighteen children with CNO (12 males, 6 females) were identified. Their age at onset was 9 (5, 11) years, the delay in diagnosis was 2 (1, 6) months, and follow-up-was 17 (8, 34) months. The most common symptoms were fever in 14 children, as well as bone pain and (or) arthralgia in 14 children. In terms of laboratory results, normal white blood cell counts were observed at onset in 17 patients; increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in all patients; increased C reactive protein (CRP) over the normal value in 14 patients. Of the 18 patients, 2 had positive antinuclear antibodies, while none had positive human leukocyte antigen-B27 or rheumatoid factor. Imaging examination revealed that all the patients had symmetrical and multifocal skeletal lesions. The number of structural lesions detected by imaging investigation was 8 (6, 11). The most frequently affected bones were tibia in 18 patients and femur in 17 patients. Bone biopsy was conducted in 14 patients and acute or chronic osteomyelitis manifested with inflammatory cells infiltration were detected. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) found bone lesions in all the patients and bone scintigraphy were positive in 13 patients. All the patients were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, among whom 10 cases also treated with oral glucocorticoids, 9 cases with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, 8 cases with bisphosphonates and 6 cases with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. The pediatric chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis disease activity score, increased by 70% or more in 13 patients within the initial 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of CNO are lack of specificity. The first symptom of CNO is fever, with or without bone pain and (or) arthralgia, with normal peripheral blood leukocytes, elevated CRP and (or) ESR. Whole body bone scanning combined with MRI can early detect osteomyelitis at subclinical sites, and improve the diagnostic rate of CNO.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Osteomyelitis/drug therapy* ; Arthralgia ; Diphosphonates ; Fever ; Graft vs Host Disease

Objective: MRI images were used to study the efficacy of anterior repositioning splint (ARS) in the treatment of different types of disc displacement with reduction (DDWR) in temporomandibular joint. Methods: From September 2020 to December 2021, 26 patients with DDWR were enrolled in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. There were 5 males and 21 females with an average age of (20.8±5.8) years. ARS was used for 3-6 months. The changes of joint clicking, opening type and joint pain before and after treatment were compared. The changes of disc position, disc-condyle angle and condylar bone mass before and after treatment were compared by MRI. Paired t-test was performed on the disc-condyle angle before and after treatment, Fisher's exact test was performed on the change of disk position, and other count data were expressed as rate (%). Results: After ARS treatment, the effective rates of joint clicking,abnormal opening, joint pain and disc displacement were 97%(35/36), 14/18, 7/9 and 95%(36/38). MRI analysis found that there was a significant difference between the disc position before and after treatment (P<0.001), MRI analysis showed that the anterior disc displacement (48%, 25/52) and the anterolateral disc displacement (17%, 9/52) were the most common before treatment. In contrast, the normal superior disc (75%, 39/52) and the anterior disc displacement (17%, 9/52) were the most common after treatment, no significant changes were seen after treatment in the anteromedial disc displacement. The disc-condylar angle was (36.09±19.02) ° before ARS treatment and (3.94±10.12) ° after ARS treatment(t=9.23, P<0.001). After treatment, 46% (12/16) of the patients showed new bone formation, and the height of the condyle recovered. Conclusions: The clinical efficacy of ARS in the treatment of anterior disc displacement and anterolateral displacement of temporomandibular joint is remarkable, which can restore the disc-condylar relationship of most patients with indications.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthralgia ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations/therapy* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Splints ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc/diagnostic imaging* ; Young Adult

Professor
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Arthralgia ; Breast Neoplasms/therapy* ; Humans ; Moxibustion

Professor
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Arthralgia/therapy* ; Humans ; Meridians ; Shoulder

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy with centrifugal exercise in the treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome. METHODS: From September 2017 to June 2019, 53 eligible cases of greater trochanteric pain syndrome were randomly divided into observation group (29 cases) and control group (24 cases). In observation group, there were 8 males and 21 females, aged from 38 to 62 years old with an average of (49.96±6.39) years old; the course of disease ranged from 6 to 13 months with an average of (8.58±1.99) months;treated with focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy with centrifugal exercise. In control group, there were 5 males and 19 females, aged from 39 to 62 years old with an average of (52.79±5.86) years old;the course of disease ranged from 6 to 14 months with an average of (9.04±2.51) months;treated with centrifugal exercise alone. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and hip Harris score were measured before ESWT treatment and at 1, 2, and 6 months to evaluate relieve degree of pain and functional recovery of hip joint, respectively. RESULTS: At 1 month after treatment, there were no significant differences in VAS, hip Harris score and treatment success rate (all CONCLUSION In treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome, focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy with centrifugal exercise could significantly relieve symptoms of lateral hip pain, improve functional recovery of hip joint with good safety. This treatment strategy is worthy of application and promotion in clinical practice.
Adult ; Arthralgia ; Bursitis ; Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy ; Female ; Hip ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

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

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster in the treatment of soft tissue injury. Four Chinese databases(namely CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM) and 2 English databases(namely PubMed, Cochrane Library) were retrieved from the establishment of each database to March 2019. The randomized controlled trials of Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster compared with routine therapy in treatment of soft tissue injury were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool. Five studies were included, and 367 patients were enrolled. None of the included studies reported randomized concealment, blinding, follow-up and dropping off. The results showed that Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster may have advantages in alleviating joint pain, swelling, tenderness and dysfunction and other symptoms, with no serious adverse reaction. Compared with routine therapy, Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster may have advantages in the treatment of soft tissue injury. However, due to the quality of the included RCTs, the conclusions of this study were limited. In addition, to produce high-quality evidences for the clinical application of Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster, the conclusions of this study shall be further verified with large-sample, scientifically designed and strictly implemented clinical trials.
Arthralgia/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Edema/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Pain/drug therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Soft Tissue Injuries/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of exercise acupuncture and osteopathy in the treatment of traumatic knee arthritis. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with traumatic knee arthritis were divided into three groups:routine group, exercise acupuncture group and osteopathy group. In the routine group, there were 17 cases, 12 males and 5 females, with a mean age of (49.4±8.9) years old; the averaged course of disease was (4.89±1.52) years; total WOMAC score before treatment was 100.77±15.48. Seventeen patients (11 males and 6 females) in the exercise acupuncture group were aged (48.6±10.1) years old; the course of disease was (4.21±1.37) years; and the total WOMAC score before treatment was 106.16±14.95. In the osteopathy group, there were 17 cases, 8 males and 9 females, with a mean age of (52.3±8.4) years old; the average course of disease was (4.79±1.50) years; total WOMAC score before treatment was 103.87±10.14. The patients in the routine group were treated with routine rehabilitation; the patients in the exercise acupuncture group were treated with routine rehabilitation combined with exercise acupuncture, and the patients in the osteopathy group were treated with osteopathy combined with routine rehabilitation. The changes of WOMAC score and ROM in three groups were compared before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: The overall effect of osteopathy group was better than that of routine group (=3.151, =0.005). The scores of WOMAC before and after treatment:pain of 23.84±4.66, 11.98±2.66, stiffness of 10.44±1.71, 6.42±0.74, daily life of 66.49±11.85, 35.80±4.44 in the routine group; pain of 22.64±3.22, 8.90±2.19, stiffness of 11.82±2.57 , 6.03±1.06, daily life of 71.72±13.59, 32.94±4.73 in the exercise acupuncture group; pain of 22.38±3.68, 10.66±2.75, stiffness of 11.81±2.08, 5.63±1.69, daily life of 69.69±8.96, 28.84±5.76 in the osteopathy group. Compared with the other two groups after treatment, the improvement of pain score in the exercise acupuncture group was better than those in the other two groups. There were no significant differences in stiffness score among the three groups. The degree of difficulty in daily life in the osteopathy group was better than that in the other two groups. The total score of WOMAC in the exercise acupuncture group and the osteopathy group were better than that in the conventional group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of routine rehabilitation treatment, exercise needling and osteopathy have positive significance for the improvement of joint pain and dysfunction of joint movement in patients with traumatic knee arthritis, with certain popularlized value in the treatment of traumatic knee arthritis.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Arthralgia ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; therapy ; Pain Measurement ; Treatment Outcome