Abstract
Influence of acupuncture on autonomic balance in adult tinnitus patients: an exploratory study.
Tu JF, Kim M, Yang JW, Li QQ, Litscher G, Wang L, Shi GX, Litscher D, Liu CZ. Curr Med Sci. 2019;39(6):947–953.
Acupuncture is an alternative therapy for tinnitus in clinical practice. The mechanism by which acupuncture can alleviate tinnitus is still unknown. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been reported to be responsible for tinnitus. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of acupuncture on autonomic balance in adults with tinnitus. Thirty patients were randomly assigned into either a deep acupuncture (DA) group or a shallow acupuncture (SA) group. Each patient received 6 acupuncture sessions (a–f phase) over 3 weeks. Measures of heart rate variability and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were obtained at baseline and after the sixth acupuncture session in all patients.
A low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) pattern was increased in the b–f phase until the sixth acupuncture session, compared with the first acupuncture session in the DA group. However, the LF/HF pattern continuously increased in the b–f phase in the SA group even at the sixth acupuncture session, which was not significantly different from that at the first acupuncture session. The decrease in THI in the DA group was greater than that in the SA group after 3 weeks of treatment (P = 0.043). The result of this preliminary study suggests 3-weeks of DA can reduce tinnitus symptoms in adults with tinnitus. This effect might be related to regulation of ANS balance.
Effects of the new lift–thrust operation in laser acupuncture investigated by thermal imaging.
Lan KC, Wang CY, Kuo CC, Chang SC, Lin HA, Wu XY, Ding JY, Litscher G.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:4212079.
Needle manipulation is one of the key factors affecting the performance of acupuncture in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Lift–thrust and twirl–twist are two of the most commonly used manipulation methods for needle acupuncture. The authors had previously developed a novel laser acupuncture model that emulates lift–thrust manipulation. In this study, these researchers intended to show the effectiveness of such a model by applying it on the Neiguan acupoint (PC 6). Stimulation had been reported to be beneficial for improving cardiac output and peripheral circulation. Therefore, the researchers hypothesized that stimulation of laser acupuncture could increase the temperature of the subjects' fingertips due to increased peripheral blood flow. A thermal imager was used to measure the temperature changes of the subjects' fingertips.
Regression analysis showed that, while PC 6 is stimulated, laser acupuncture with a lift–thrust manipulation caused a more-rapid, stable, and lasting temperature rise in the fingertip than that without the lift–thrust manipulation. There were no significant temperature changes when a sham point near PC 6 was stimulated. The results suggest that emulation of manipulation methods, such as the lift–thrust could be a potential direction in the future development of laser acupuncture.
Robot-controlled acupuncture—an innovative step towards modernization of the ancient traditional medical treatment method.
Lan KC, Litscher G. Medicines (Basel). 2019;6 (3):E87.
For several years, research teams worldwide have been conducting high-technology research on the development of acupuncture robots. In this article, the design of an acupuncture robot is presented. Robot-controlled acupuncture (RCA) equipment consists of three components: (1) acupuncture-point localization; (2) acupuncture-point stimulation through a robotic arm; and (3) automated detection of a De Qi event for the efficacy of acupuncture point stimulation.
This system is under development in the department of computer science and information engineering of the National Cheng Kung University, in Tainan. Acupuncture-point localization and acupuncture-point stimulation through a robotic arm work well; however, automated detection of a De Qi sensation is still under development. RCA has become a reality and is no longer a distant vision.
Traditional acupuncture meets modern nanotechnology: opportunities and perspectives.
Zhang H, Han G, Litscher G. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:2146167.
Acupuncture is an ancient method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Usually acupuncture needles are inserted into the body to achieve therapeutic effects. However, there are still some challenges to achieving a consensus. What is the essence or anatomy of acupuncture meridians? How does acupuncture work? How can acupuncture clinical therapeutic effects be improved? These questions may be addressed by highlighting recent developments in innovative nanotechnology.
The aim of this review was to elucidate the possible applications and future potential of nanotechnology in acupuncture. Nanoparticles are promising for imaging and might help produce a better understanding of the essence of meridians. Nanotechnology enables nanochips/nanosensors to detect reactive molecules in vivo in real time. The connections and changing of these molecules with needle stimulation will enable insight into the mechanisms of acupuncture. Acupuncture combined with nano-TCM could have a great potential to improve some types of characteristic acupuncture therapies. By virtue of nanotechnology, acupuncture needles could be innovated as multifunction toolboxes. Acupuncture needles could be considered for use in a method of controlled drug delivery. The nanoparticulated, photothermal, magnetothermal photodynamic agents could also be filled on the surface of the needles.
Multimodal laser stimulation and traditional needle acupuncture in post-stroke patients—a pilot cross-over study with results from near infrared spectroscopy
Litscher G, Zhang X, Sheng Z, Jing XH, Wang L. Medicines (Basel). 2019;6(4):E115.
The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the cerebral effects of laser stimulation and traditional needle acupuncture in patients after stroke. Seventeen patients who had strokes (12 female and 5 male; mean age ± standard deviation: 66.5 ± 12.9 years) were randomly selected in a stroke-rehabilitation hospital. In this crossover study, the patients' regional cerebral blood oxygen saturation (rSO2) values were recorded before, during, and after needle acupuncture (scalp, ear, and body) as well as before, during, and after corresponding laser stimulation (red laser, 4 points: 100 mW, 658 nm, 500 μm; yellow laser, 1 point: 50 mW, 589 nm, 500 μm; infrared laser, 3 points: 100 mW, 810 nm, 500 μm; green laser, 1 point: 5 mW, 532 nm, 500 μm).
There were no significant changes after needle acupuncture in the phases immediately after needle insertion or during acupuncture stimulation. However, after manual needle acupuncture and after laser stimulation, the majority of the rSO2 values showed increases. The highest value (+3%) was reached after laser stimulation treatment. Heart rate and blood pressure before and after the treatments did not show significant alterations. Changes in local cerebral oxygen saturation could be quantified, although confirmation may only be expected after extensive follow-up studies.