[Objective]To investigate the effects of acupuncture on sports activities of athletes[Methods]A total of 1,804 athletes were targeted. The method used was a collective survey. Questionnaires were administered after obtaining consent from the participants; online questionnaires were also provided. The questionnaire evaluated profile (sex, age); sensation immediately after acupuncture treatment, duration of stimulus sensation, stimulus intensity, stimulus sensation, and therapeutic effect; timing of acupuncture treatment; and questions related to acupuncture as to whether the acupuncture caused any adverse effects on play (movement) or showed any positive effects.[Results]In total, 1,525 (84.5%) valid responses were obtained. The survey analyzed 841 subjects (55.1%) who underwent acupuncture. The most common response after acupuncture treatment was that the subjects felt lighter and were able to move more easily; 43.9% of subjects gave this response. In addition, 10.6% of respondents said that they continued to feel pain similar to the sensation during acupuncture treatment and 7.7% said they felt weak. The most common response at 59.8% was that the sensation felt during acupuncture disappeared quickly after treatment was ended, 58.6% of subjects said that the sensation felt after acupuncture was optimal, and 48.3% responded that the sensation from treatment remained and a positive effect was observed. The most common timing for receiving acupuncture for 21.8% of subjects was after practice or a match: [Discussion and Conclusion]Acupuncture for athletes should be performed according to the guidelines, taking into account the competition schedule and type of competition and the appropriate amount of acupuncture stimulation, thereby preventing problems during competition.

[Objective] The purpose of this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study is to investigate the challenges of adverse events during treatment by acupuncture and moxibustion to an athlete. [Methods] In total, 1,804 subjects, including athletes who participated in marathons and university athletes were enrolled in this study. The survey was conducted by distributing the questionnaire or via online questionnaire to the athletes who fit the criteria for the study. The questionnaires were collected after consent was received from the participants; online questionnaires were also collected. The questionnaire was examined for age, sex, and type of competition, purpose of the acupuncture treatment and the actual effects, and treated area, content of adverse event, number of times the subjects received acupuncture, and informed consent, and free description of adverse events.[Results] In total, 1,525 (84.5%) valid responses to the questionnaires were received. The survey analyzed 841 subjects (55.1%) who experienced acupuncture and moxibustion. The following responses about adverse events of acupuncture were obtained: "pain at time of needle insertion"; 17.0%, "subcutaneous-bleeding"; 10.1% and "pain and feeling of heaviness due to the needle": 10.0%, among others. For moxibustion, responses included "burns"; 5.9% and "malaise"; 5.8%, among others. In the free description, there were 17 descriptions of discomfort due to excessive stimulation and difficulty in movement during exercise. Of the questions regarding whether or not they received informed consent, 215 were received orally (25.6%), 34 were received in written form (4.0%), 99 were received both orally and in written form (11.8%).[Discussion and Conclusion] Acupuncture for athletes causes a certain rate of adverse events. It was suggested that guidelines for athletes to receive acupuncture safely and training and education for practitioners are important.

[Objective] To report reduction in frequency of headaches and use of medication and improvements in quality of daily life via C2 peripheral nerve field stimulation using electroacupuncture (EA-C2-PNfS) in a patient with migraines triggered by weather changes. [Case] A woman in her 60s complaining of headache.[Clinical History] Her headaches began to worsen in X-41 years. The OTC drug became ineffective from around X-15 years, and subject was diagnosed with migraine and overuse of headache medication by a neurosurgeon. Her headache was alleviated by the appropriate medications. She began a new job from August, X-1 year and headaches and over-medication increased in frequency. The acupuncture treatment was started in May, X year. The frequency of headaches was 8 times mo (month).[Subjective Symptoms] Throbbing pain occurred mainly in the frontal and occipital regions, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and optic/auditory hyperesthesia. The main trigger was weather changes.[Family History] Father, maternal grandmother and brothers have a history of headaches.[Diagnosis] Migraine.[Evaluation] Headache Diary (frequency of headache and medication), Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) (Quality of daily life).[Treatment] EA-C2-PNfS was performed once a week. Interval of the treatment was adjusted depending on the patient's condition. [Results] Though weather- related transient aggravations were occasionally observed, the frequencies of the headache and use of medication gradually decreased; The frequency of the headache was 8 times/mo at the start of the treatment, 6 times/mo after 12 weeks, 8 times/mo after 24 weeks, 3 times/mo after 36 weeks, once a mo after 48 weeks, 4 times mo after 54 weeks. The frequency of medication was 8 times/mo at the start of the treatment, 2 times/mo after 12 weeks, 6 times/mo after 24 weeks, 3 times mo after 36 weeks, once a mo after 48 weeks, 4 times/mo after 54 weeks. The score of HIT-6 also improved from 68 to 57. The treatment was concluded with patient satisfaction.[Discussion] In this case, migraine triggered by weather changes was remarkably alleviated. Recently an activation of the spinal trigeminal nucleus was implicated in the pathology of weather-associated headaches. EA-C2-PNfS may inhibit the abnormal activity of spinal trigeminal nucleus.

[Objective] We report a patient with restless legs syndrome (RLS) associated with chronic cold sensation in her lower legs. Both symptoms were successfully treated with acupuncture and moxibustion.[Patient] The patient was a 42-year-old female whose chief complaint was unpleasant abnormal sensation on the back of her lower legs that appeared when attempting to sleep. She had previously experienced the same sensation while she was pregnant, but it disappeared after childbirth. The unpleasant sensation appeared again in July, X year with no precipitating cause. The symptoms progressively worsened each day, eventually resulting in sleep disturbance. She was diagnosed as RLS in the department of neurology, but she did not want pharmacotherapy so she decided to start a treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion. She underwent the treatment once a week, with acupuncture in the triceps surae muscle of both lower legs, and an electronic moxibustion at acupoints BL57 and SP6 bilaterally. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Severity Rating Scale (IRLS) and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) were used for evaluation. [Result] The IRLS score gradually decreased from 26 to 2 by the 7th treatment. The NRS score also decreased from 8 to 0. The patient's chronic cold sensation also improved with reduction in RLS symptoms.[Discussion] Recently a dysfunction of the dorsoposterior hypothalamic dopaminergic A11 cell group has been implicated in the pathology of RLS. The dysfunction in this system induces an excessive sympathetic activity, which may cause microangiopathies resulting in the cold sensation. [Conclusion] RLS and cold sensation are shared pathologies relating to the dopaminergic and the autonomic nervous system, and our report suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion treatment may have acted upon these systems to improve symptoms.