Category: Acupuncture Research & Miscellaneous Conditions

A Chinese research team looking at whether acupuncture benefits prostatitis, has concluded it offers long-lasting and clinically significant improvements for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. A total of 68 men aged 18 to 50, were randomised to receive either eight weeks of acupuncture or eight weeks of non-insertive sham needling. Both groups were followed up for a further 24 weeks.

At weeks 8, 20 and 32, pain scores differed significantly between the two groups, with the acupuncture group exhibiting significant improvements. Most secondary outcome measures were also better in the acupuncture group.

(Acupuncture for Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Randomized, Sham Acupuncture Controlled Trial. Journal of Urology, October 2018.)

Authors of a study undertaken in Korea have concluded that electro-acupuncture should be recommended as a non-pharmacological treatment for the pain of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. A total of 126 patients with the condition were randomly assigned to either electro-acupuncture or to a non-treatment control group. Treatment was given twice a week for eight weeks. Both groups were given dietary and lifestyle advice, diabetes medication and painkillers (paracetamol) to use when required.

Patients in the treatment group showed significantly more improvement in pain scores compared to those in the control group: 16% of treatment group patients had a greater than 50% reduction in pain score, compared to only 6% in the control group. The treatment group also experienced significantly greater improvements in sleep and quality of life scores. By week 9, 82% of patients in the treatment group were reporting global improvements, compared with 34% in the control group. This was maintained through eight weeks of follow up.

(Electroacupuncture for Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Multicenter, Randomized, Assessor-Blinded, Controlled Trial. Diabetes Care, online ahead of print 30 July 2018.)

Acupuncture for prostatitis seems to be an effective intervention, according to the results of a Cochrane systematic review of non-pharmacological treatments for chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Three of the studies included in the review, covering 204 patients, suggested that acupuncture reduces prostatitis symptoms in an appreciable number of patients, when compared against either standard interventions or a sham control procedure. Furthermore, the use of acupuncture resulted in little or no increase in adverse events, compared to standard medical therapy.

(Non-pharmacological interventions for treating chronic prostatitis/ chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Cochrane Database Systematic Review, 26 January 2018.)

Chinese researchers investigating acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation have found that the addition of acupuncture to physical therapy for patients with shoulder-hand syndrome, significantly contributes to pain reduction and functional improvements. A total of 178 patients received either standard rehabilitation therapy or standard therapy plus acupuncture, in a hospital setting. Acupuncture was given once per day for a month.

At the end of the treatment period, early pain relief, upper extremity motor function and quality of life, were all significantly better in the acupuncture group.

(A clinical study on acupuncture in combination with routine rehabilitation therapy for early pain recovery of post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome. Experimental & Therapeutic Medicine, 18 December 2017.)

A systematic review by Korean authors investigating acupuncture for Parkinson’s disease, suggests it may hold promise as a useful and safe adjunctive treatment. The review examined 42 studies involving 2625 patients. Subjects treated using acupuncture alongside conventional medicine showed significant clinical improvements compared with those treated with conventional medicine alone. Electro-acupuncture appeared particularly useful. The authors state that more rigorous and well-designed placebo-controlled trials should be conducted.

(Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, October 2017.)