No.2, 2008

How Old is Acupuncture? Challenging the Neolithic Origins Theory / by Bai Xinghua, with RB Baron; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 5 ~ 10, 2008

A thorough re-evaluation of all extant literature, as well as documents and archaeological relics unearthed since the 1960s, confirms that acupuncture is not as ancient as has generally been assumed, and that it did not, in fact, appear and gradually develop during China’s Neolithic Age (c. 8000-3500 BCE). Rather, this great invention arose quite suddenly, and rapidly developed, approximately two millennia ago.

Stiff Person Syndrome – Management by Chinese Medicine: A Case Study / by Henry McCann; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 12 ~ 17, 2008

Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare disease of the central nervous system characterised by muscle rigidity and episodic spasm. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder as about 60% of SPS patients present with immune mediated γ-aminobutyric acid deficiency. There is no direct mention of SPS in the Chinese medical literature, but a review of other classical disease categories reveals that from the Chinese medical perspective SPS can be understood as a disease of the Liver and sinews caused by a combination of underlying vacuity patterns as well as retention of wind and phlegm evils. This case study describes the acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatment of a 33 year-old male with SPS. The patient underwent treatment for a period of two years, and during that time he was able to completely eliminate his use of Dilantin and decrease diazepam use by between 30 to 50%, with no deleterious effects or exacerbation of symptoms. It can thus be concluded that Chinese medicine may offer SPS patients a valid treatment option for palliation of symptoms and it is hoped this case will introduce SPS to Chinese medical practitioners in an effort to begin collecting more data on its treatment with Chinese medicine.

Acupuncture for Nausea in Early Pregnancy: A Discussion and Case / by Julie Gear; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 18 ~ 23, 2008

Nausea and vomiting is very common in pregnancy. A patient presented with nausea at the 10th week of gestation and was treated with acupuncture, reporting a total elimination of her symptoms within five minutes. This article investigates the aetiology, physiology and pathology of morning sickness and is illustrated via a case study from the author’s own practice.

The Experience of Professor Sun Gui Zhi in Preventing and Treating the Recurrence and Metastasis of Stomach Cancer / by Yu Cai; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 24 ~ 27, 2008

Professor Sun Guizhi, chief doctor of Guang An Men Hospital affiliated to the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a famous Chinese specialist who applies traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) or the integration of TCM and Western medicine in the treatment of cancer. For the past 30 years Professor Sun has exclusively studied tumours in the digestive tract and specialises in the treatment of stomach cancer according to the differentiation of patterns in TCM. Professor Sun’s clinical experience in preventing and treating the recurrence and metastasis of stomach cancer is summarised in this article.

Melancholic Humours: Conceptions of Energy Flow and Constraint in Chinese and Western Medicine / by Diane Dutton; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 34 ~ 38, 2008

A common theme in modern discussions of Chinese medicine is its success in maintaining a more process-oriented view of the body, characterised by concepts of energy, flow and the integration of body and mind. This framework is usually contrasted with modern Western medical models, and some authors would go so far as to say that the two systems are incommensurable, and cannot be reconciled in theory or practice. Yet early Western notions of the body, based as they were on metaphors of humoural energy and flow, feature an emphasis on the primacy of subjective perception of energy that characterises Chinese medical accounts. This paper examines the common conceptual metaphors that structure Chinese accounts of Liver qi depression and Western accounts of melancholy, and argues that an analysis of conceptual metaphor can provide a deeper perspective on the meaning of embodied experience in health and illness.

Low Level Laser for the Stimulation of Acupoints for Smoking Cessation: A Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Randomised Trial and Semi Structured Interviews / by Catherine M. Kerr, et al; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 42 ~ 47, 2008

Aim: to determine whether the application of laser acupoint stimulation to previously reported effective ear and body acupuncture points was successful in reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal, so promoting a complete cessation of smoking. Design: The method used was that of a double blind, randomised controlled trial and semi-structured interviews. Adult volunteers (n=415) were recruited following a television appeal. After initial screening and application of inclusion/exclusion criteria the volunteers (n=387) were randomly allocated to either of the treatment groups A or B or C. Intervention: Three laser therapy treatments on days 1, 3 and 7 of the programme and one sham treatment on day 14 (Group A) or 4 laser treatments carried out on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 (Group B) or Group C with four sham treatments on days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Sham treatments used an inactive probe identical in appearance to active probe. Findings: Groups A and Group B participants achieved a higher rate of non smoking than Group C. Of the two groups, four treatments (Group B) was more effective than the three treatments (Group A). The differences in the non smoking behaviors of all three groups were statistically significant. Subjective data reported a lessening of withdrawal symptoms after laser treatment. Conclusions: Laser acupoint stimulation can assist in smoking cessation by reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal.

Xie Qi in the Ling Shu: Balance, Harmony and the Possibility of Invation / by Carl Williams; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 48 ~ 52, 2008

There is a tension evident in the use of some TCM concepts in a modern context. Xie qi (evil qi) is an ancient concept which is still in use, but speculation remains about its meaning in ancient texts such as the Nei Jing Ling Shu (Inner Classic Spiritual Pivot). The concept of evil qi can be difficult to integrate into the modern practice of Chinese medicine, due to its resonance with what are now often seen as antiquated and superstitious ideas. This paper analyses the use of xie qi in the Ling Shu, and illustrates how the concept provides useful information about the cultural origins and conceptual frameworks which underlie the theories of Chinese medicine.

Auricular Acupuncture and Substance Misuse: A Clinical Audit / by Paul Blacker; J. of Chinese Medicine; No. 86, p 53 ~ 56, 2008

This article reports on a clinical audit of a substance misuse service in Kent (UK). The audit assessed the efficacy of auricular acupuncture treatment of the symptoms commonly associated with addiction, as well as measuring its benefits in the clinical management of substance misuse. The results suggest that regular auricular acupuncture treatment has significant benefits to offer clients of drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, and that it is a safe and cost-effective treatment that is particularly effective in helping to retain clients in treatment.

Scalp Acupuncture Effect on Language Development in Children with Autism: A Pilot Study / by Hemat Allam, et al; The J. of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; Vol. 14(2): 109-114, 2008

Background and objectives: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in delays in social interaction, language used in social communication, and symbolic or imaginative play, with an onset prior to age 3 years. Language therapy (LT) for children with autism is the main form of rehabilitation, because it emphasizes its major presenting symptom (i.e., language impairment). Scalp acupuncture (scalp AP) is a modality based on the physiologic function of different brain areas, where different scalp zones are stimulated with needles so as to stimulate the reflexively related nervous tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the role of scalp AP as a complementary modality to LT in rehabilitation of children with autism. Subjects and design: The study involved 20 children (divided into 2 equal groups: A and B), diagnosed as autistic according to DSM IV classification. Their ages ranged between 4 and 7 years old. All subjects underwent LT twice weekly, aiming at stimulation of cognitive and verbal abilities. Group B only was subjected to scalp AP sessions—twice weekly—as a rehabilitation complementary tool during the 9-month period of the study. The acupoints used were: Du 20, 26, GV17; three temple needles; and Yamamoto's New Scalp Acupuncture cerebrum and aphasia points (acupuncture needles 0.3 × 30 mm). A language test was performed before and after therapy to monitor cognition and expression (an Arabic test was included). Results: Both groups, whose mean age range was 5.5 years ± 1.22 years, showed a significant improvement in cognitive and expressive language skills pre- and post-therapy, which was highly significant among group B children treated with scalp AP (attention 2.8 ± 0.8 in group A versus 3.5 ± 0.8 in group B; receptive semantics were 7 ± 3.8 in group A versus 9.4 ± 3.1 in group B). Expressive semantics significantly improved in both groups. Conclusions: Scalp AP is a safe complementary modality when combined with LT and has a significantly positive effect on language development in children with autism.

The Effect of Deep-Tissue Massage Therapy on Blood Pressur and Heart Rate / by Alan David Kaye, et al; The J. of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; Vol. 14(2): 125-128, 2008

Aim: In the present study, we describe the effects of deep tissue massage on systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure. Materials and methods: The study involved 263 volunteers (12% males and 88% females), with an average age of 48.5. Overall muscle spasm/muscle strain was described as either moderate or severe for each patient. Baseline blood pressure and heart rate were measured via an automatic blood pressure cuff. Twenty-one (21) different soothing CDs played in the background as the deep tissue massage was performed over the course of the study. The massages were between 45 and 60 minutes in duration. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance with post-hoc Scheffe's F-test. Results: Results of the present study demonstrated an average systolic pressure reduction of 10.4 mm Hg (p < 0.06), a diastolic pressure reduction of 5.3 mm Hg (p < 0.04), a mean arterial pressure reduction of 7.0 mm Hg (p < 0.47), and an average heart rate reduction of 10.8 beats per minute (p < 0.0003), respectively. Conclusions: Additional scientific research in this area is warranted.

Stress Mangement Versus Lifestyle Modification on Systolic Hypertension and Medication Elimination: A randomized Trial / by Jeffery A Dusek, et al; The J. of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; Vol. 14(2): 129-138, 2008

Isolated systolic hypertension is common in the elderly, but decreasing systolic blood pressure (SBP) without lowering diastolic blood pressure (DBP) remains a therapeutic challenge. Although stress management training, in particular eliciting the relaxation response, reduces essential hypertension its efficacy in treating isolated systolic hypertension has not been evaluated. We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial comparing 8 weeks of stress management, specifically relaxation response training (61 patients), versus lifestyle modification (control, 61 patients). Inclusion criteria were =55 years, SBP 140–159 mm Hg, DBP <90 mm Hg, and at least two antihypertensive medications. The primary outcome measure was change in SBP after 8 weeks. Patients who achieved SBP <140 mm Hg and =5 mm Hg reduction in SBP were eligible for 8 additional weeks of training with supervised medication elimination. SBP decreased 9.4 (standard deviation [SD] 11.4) and 8.8 (SD 13.0) mm Hg in relaxation response and control groups, respectively (both ps < 0.0001) without group difference (p = 0.75). DBP decreased 1.5 (SD 6.2) and 2.4 (SD 6.9) mm Hg (p = 0.05 and 0.01, respectively) without group difference (p = 0.48). Forty-four (44) in the relaxation response group and 36 in the control group were eligible for supervised antihypertensive medication elimination. After controlling for differences in characteristics at the start of medication elimination, patients in the relaxation response group were more likely to successfully eliminate an antihypertensive medication (odds ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.2–15.9, p = 0.03). Although both groups had similar reductions in SBP, significantly more participants in the relaxation response group eliminated an antihypertensive medication while maintaining adequate blood pressure control.