Literature investigation and expert consultation were adopted to construct the theoretical framework and item pool of
Moxibustion ; Thermosensing

Based on heat-sensitive moxibustion (HSM) theory, a widely applicable scale was developed to reflect the (arrival of ) sensation of HSM. By documentary method and interviewing method, the items of describing sensation of HSM were collected to establish the pool of candidate items. With expert questionnaire, patient questionnaire and core expert discussion, the items were screened and quantified by method of subjective evaluation to develop the initial draft of the scale. A total of 121 patients were pre-surveyed with the initial draft, and the structural validity of the scale was examined by exploratory factor analysis (principal component) and its internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's coefficient. As a result, the items in the scale was reduced from 36 to 9; 110 effective questionnaires were reclaimed for statistical analysis. Finally, the scale (Version 1.0) contained 9 items and 4 dimensions, of which, 3 items highlighted the comfort emotional experience, 3 items highlighted autonomic response, 2 items highlighted heat sensation, and 1 item highlighted non-heat sensation. In conclusion, the sensation scale of HSM containes 9 items, which has fair content and structure validity. It is in line with the current clinical understanding of sensation of HSM and has strong clinical operability and wide adaptability.
Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Sensation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thermosensing

OBJECTIVEHie (cold sensation) is one of the most common health complaints in Japan. Those who suffer from severe hie are considered as having hiesho (cold disorder). However, exact hiesho symptoms have not been defined clearly and the decision as to whether a person suffers from hiesho is subjective and based on self-awareness. The study was conducted in attempt to develop a standardized hiesho diagnostic scale.

METHODSSubjects comprised 1 146 students. From the self-awareness of hiesho symptoms, males and females were divided into hiesho and non-hiesho groups. Physical, behavioral and adaptive characteristics were compared using the 24-item questionnaire (four-grade survey) and indicators for hiesho symptoms were extracted. Based on the scores, a receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn for the total ordinal scale score of the extracted items in relation to the presence and absence of hiesho symptoms, and an optimal cutoff value was determined.

RESULTSThe self-awareness of having hiesho was found in 23.2% males and in 55.6% females. The sensitivity was 84.5% for males and 83.3% for females in the hiesho groups, and the specificity was 86.0% for males and 85.2% for females in the non-hiesho groups.

CONCLUSIONA questionnaire consisting of the extracted items may be useful to identify hiesho in young males and females with a high level of accuracy.

Adult ; Cold Temperature ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thermosensing

Thoracic spinal cord herniation is a rare disease cause of progressive myelopathy. Magnetic resonance image is a useful tool to diagnose preoperatively. Operation is a treatment of option. Sixty-six-year-old female visited Dong-A University Medical Center for progressive gait disturbance with falling tendency to right side. She had radiating pain and tingling sense on both leg. Sense of touch and temperature was decreased below T6 level. Both hip and knee motor power were grade IV. Magnetic resonance imaging scan showed anterior displacement of the spinal cord at T4-T5 vertebral level. Under the diagnosis of thoracic spinal cord herniation with dura defect, operation was performed for the patient with intraoperative neuromonitoring. Laminectomy at T4 and T5 level was done, and intradural exploration of the spinal cord revealed dura defect about 25mm×8mm in size. Spinal cord was released under microscope and dura defect was repaired with Lyoplant. The patient's symptom improved after the surgical procedure, but touch and temperature sense under T6 level had unchanged.
Academic Medical Centers ; Accidental Falls ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gait ; Hernia ; Hip ; Humans ; Knee ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paraparesis ; Rare Diseases ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spinal Cord* ; Thermosensing ; Thorax

OBJECTIVETo explore the technique of temperature control on the abdomen in penetrating moxibustion through observing moxibustion time on the abdomen, abdominal skin temperature and effect after moxibustion so as to provide the safe, effective and easily applicable method for penetrating moxibustion.

METHODSThirty-two patients were selected in an observation group, 32 healthy persons in a control group. In the observation group, the penetrating moxibustion was applied to the corresponding acupoint locations according to different symptoms. In the control group, moxibustion was used on the abdomen around the umbilicus. The skin temperature was recorded once every minute. The skin temperature of known heat sensation, the time of known heat sensation, the known reduced temperature, the time of temperature reducing, the skin temperature difference, the duration of penetrating moxibustion and the reaction of moxibustion from participants were recorded.

RESULTSThe differences in the skin temperature of known heat sensation, the time of known heat sensation and the duration of penetrating moxibustion were significant statistically in comparison between the observation group and the control group (all P<0.01). The differences in the known reduced temperature, the time of temperature reducing and the skin tem- perature difference were not significant (all P>0.05). The differences were significant statistically in skin rashes and moxibustion reaction (gastrointestinal peristalsis, chills, ant climbing feeling and hunger, etc.) between the two groups (P<0.01). The differences were not significant statistically in flushing, sweating and blisters (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSION(1) The level of temperature sensitivity in the observation group is lower than that in the control group. During penetrating moxibustion, the sensations such as gastrointestinal peristalsis, chills, ant climbing feeling and hunger appear easily, suggesting the positive self-adjustment in the body. (2) During penetrating moxibustion, the warm feeling is penetrated not just from the epidermis to the abdominal cavity and lumbar region, but also up to thehead and down to the knee. (3) The flushing, sweating and skin rashes are the important indices for the effectiveness of penetrating moxibustion. (4) The temperature control is the core technique of penetrating moxibustion. The penetrating moxibustion in 28 min to 32 min and the temperature controlled in 43 degrees C to 45 degrees C can solve the moxibustion smoky impact to the environment, but also relieve pains of the patients.

Abdomen ; physiology ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Skin Temperature ; Thermosensing ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the small fiber function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of the early stage by measuring the sensory threshold with the quantitative temperature testing technology.

METHODSTwenty cases of patients with type 2 diabetes with no neurological deficit (DM group) and twenty age and sex-matched healthy controls underwent the detecting of cold sensory threshold (CST), warm sensory threshold (WST), cold pain threshold (CPT), heat pain threshold (HPT) in both inside of their hands.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in CST, WST, CPT and HPT between left and right inside of hand of the same sample among all the testers. But the four kinds of threshold showed significant difference in the right inside of hand between patients and healthy people ( P < 0.05). In addition, the CST and WST differed significantly in the left inside of hand between the patients and healthy controls while the CPT and HPT showed no significant difference in the left inside of hand between them. Patients group and control group with CST and WST on the left side of the comparison difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQuantitative analysis of temperature sense threshold can not only reflect increase of the pain threshold value, also can reflect its decrease, i. e. hyperalgesia, which may help to diagnose small fibrous peripheral neuropathy recognition, especially in early diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Case-Control Studies ; Cold Temperature ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; physiopathology ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; diagnosis ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Pain Threshold ; Sensory Thresholds ; Thermosensing

The characteristics and clinical application of the arrival of qi in suspended moxibustion was discussed in this paper. Through literature research and clinical practice, three aspects, including characteristics of arrival of qi in suspended moxibustion, the clinical basis regarding arrival of qi in suspended moxibustion improving therapeutic effects and how to acquire arrival of qi in suspended moxibustion, were discussed to clarify the essential role of arrival of qi in suspended moxibustion as well as its importance to the development of moxibustion medicine. The suspended moxibustion at acupoints could produce arrival of qi similar to acupuncture, which was characterized as non-local or non-superficial heat sensation such as penetrating heat, expanding heat, transmitting heat, even non-hot sensation such as aching, numbing, distending, painful, heavy, cold sensation in the applied region. It is heat-sensitive sensation phenomenon that can improve therapeutic effect in suspended moxibustion.
Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; methods ; Qi ; Thermosensing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on body temperature, shivering, and perceived thermal comfort of web-based evidence-based practice guideline for patients undergoing gastrectomy. METHODS: Eighty patients scheduled for gastrectomy were recruited and assigned to the control or experimental group by sequential order. Before collecting data from the experimental group, a systematic educational program on evidence-based guidelines was provided to the nurses as well anesthesiologists. Data were analyzed using t-test and repeated measured ANOVA. RESULTS: The experimental group showed higher body temperature from the induction of anesthesia until four hours after surgery compared to the control group. In addition, the levels of thermal comfort as well as satisfaction with thermal management were significantly higher in the experiment group. CONCLUSION: Use of evidence-based guidelines was effective in maintaining body temperature, lowering sensitivity to shivering, and promoting perceived thermal comfort. Therefore, adoption of evidence-based interventions in nursing practice is recommended.
Anesthesia ; Body Temperature* ; Evidence-Based Nursing ; Evidence-Based Practice ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Shivering* ; Thermosensing

There is a close functional relationship between the jaw and neck regions and it has been suggested that trigeminal sensory impairment can follow whiplash injury. Inclusion of manageable routines for valid assessment of the facial sensory capacity is thus needed for comprehensive evaluations of patients exposed to such trauma. The present study investigated facial thermal thresholds in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) with both a qualitative method and quantitative sensory testing (QST). Ten women with pain and dysfunction following a whiplash injury were compared to 10 healthy age-matched women. Thermal detection thresholds were assessed by qualitative chair-side testing and by QST according to the method-of-limits. Seven test sites in the facial skin (overlying each trigeminal branch bilaterally, and the midpoint of the chin) were examined. The detection warm and cold thresholds were defined as the mean values of 10 individual thresholds. For the WAD patients, the qualitative assessment demonstrated both reduced and increased sensitivity compared to the healthy, whereas QST systematically showed significantly higher detection thresholds (i.e., decreased sensitivity) for both cold and warm stimuli. For the individuals who were assessed as having increased sensitivity in the qualitative assessment, the QST displayed either normal or higher thresholds, i.e., decreased sensitivity. The results suggest that QST is more sensitive for detecting thermal sensory disturbances in the face than a qualitative method. The impaired thermal sensitivity among the patients corroborates the notion of altered thermal detection capacity induced by WAD-related pain.
Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Disease ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Facial Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Neck Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Sensory Thresholds ; Skin ; physiopathology ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Thermosensing ; Trigeminal Nerve Injuries ; complications ; physiopathology ; Whiplash Injuries ; complications ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo improve the manipulations of traditional heat-producing needling, and observe its therapeutic effect on peripheral facial paralysis.

METHODSAcupuncture was adopted for all the 50 patients with peripheral facial paralysis. Acupoints such as Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Qianzheng (Extra), Fengchi(GB 20), Yifeng (TE 17) of the affected side, Hegu (LI 4) of the healthy side, Shousanli (LI 10), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3) of both sides were adopted. And an adapted heat-producing needling was applied. With the left thumb of the doctor press at the point, the needle was rotated slowly with the right thumb moving forward and index finger moving backward to maintain the needling sensation. Then, heavier pressure was given with the left thumb, and a 9-time lifting and thrusting manipulation with small amplitude, low and even frequency by the right thumb and the index finger. Heavy pressure was maintained by the left thumb, and the needle was inserted by the right thumb and index finger to promote the needling sensation. Thus, the tip of the needle was always kept at the level where the needling sensation appeared. Therefore, a heat sensation can be felt by the patient under the needle or at the distal area. The treatment should be given once a day. And therapeutic effect was observed after 15 times continue treatment.

RESULTSAll the 50 patients were cured without any sequela.

CONCLUSIONAdapted heat-producing needling can promote the recovery of the function of facial muscle, and the effect of treatment of peripheral facial paralysis with the manipulation is confirmed.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Paralysis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Pressure ; Thermosensing