Acupuncture for PCOS

A review of the literature by researchers at the University of South Wales, Australia and published in Gynecological Endocrinology this year concluded that “acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment” for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Even though higher quality studies are needed, it appears that acupuncture may help PCOS in a number of ways, such as by increasing blood flow to the ovaries, reducing the number of ovarian cysts, and assisting in weight loss.

Acupuncture for Children

New research from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary found that acupuncture was as effective as eye patches for treating children with lazy eye. Other studies have shown that acupuncture helps ADHD in preschoolers. It also is effective for reducing crying in colicky infants.

 

In a small study from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago acupuncture may relieve pain and nausea in children who have chronic conditions.

Acupuncture improves walking gait in elderly

A single acupuncture treatment at a point near the knee has been shown to significantly improve the walking gait in elderly patients. Sixty German patients receiving rehabilitation treatment on a geriatric ward were randomised to receive a one-time needle stimulation at this acupuncture point or a technically identical needle stimulation at a non-acupoint. Gait performance was objectively measured on an electronic walkway before and after needling. All gait parameters showed statistically significant improvement after the true acupuncture compared with the control treatment. This study was reported in the Archive of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation in January 2011.

With thanks to the Journal of Chinese Medicine News.

Acupuncture News

Acupuncture an effective alternative for shoulder pain

According to a German trial reported in the journal “Pain” in 2010, acupuncture is an effective alternative to conventional orthopaedic treatment for chronic shoulder pain.
424 patients were studied. They were randomly assigned to Chinese acupuncture, sham
acupuncture, or conventional conservative orthopaedic treatment. At the end of the
treatment, the percentages who achieved at least a 50% reduction in pain were 68% for
the Chinese acupuncture, 40% for the sham acupuncture, and 28% for the conservative
orthopaedic treatment. 3 months after the end of the treatment the percentages were 65%, 24%, and 37%. The Chinese acupuncture also exhibited greater improvement of shoulder
mobility versus the other groups, both immediately after treatment and after 3 months.

Acupuncture relieves menopausal symptoms

In 2010 the journal “Climacteric” had an article about a Brazilian group which found
acupuncture to be effective in decreasing hot flushes and menopause symptom scores
in postmenopausal women. In a randomised, single-blind placebo-controlled trial, 81
patients were assigned to 2 groups: group 1 received 12 months of acupuncture, followed
by 6 months of sham acupuncture, while group 2 received 6 months of sham acupuncture,
then 12 months of acupuncture treatment. After 6 months women in group 1 exhibited
significantly lower menopause symptom and hot flush intensity scores than those in
group 2. After 12 months, menopause symptom and hot flush scores were similar in both
groups. After 18 months, the menopause symptom and hot flush scores for the women in
group 2 were lower than those of the women in group 1.

Acupuncture for fibromyalgia

A systematic review is a literature review focused on a research question that tries to
identify quality research evidence relevant to that question. According to the “Journal
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine” in 2010, there was a systematic review of
traditional Chinese medicine therapies for the treatment of fibromyalgia which concluded
that they appear to be effective. The authors looked at 25 randomised, placebo-controlled
trials (involving 1516 participants) of which 10 were good enough to be eligible for
analysis. Acupuncture reduced pain scores and number of tender points compared with
conventional medication, however it showed no significant effect on pain reduction
compared with sham acupuncture. A combination of acupuncture and cupping therapy
was better than conventional medication for reducing pain and for improving depression
scores.