Acupuncture Infertility Research

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture - Safe, Effective for Late Pregnancy Back Pain

The researchers designed the study to evaluate the analgesic effect and possible adverse effects of acupuncture for pelvic and low-back pain during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Following individual informed consent, 72 pregnant women reporting pelvic or low-back pain were randomized during pregnancy weeks 24-37 to an acupuncture group (n = 37) or to a control group (n = 35) at three maternity wards in southern Sweden.

Traditional acupuncture points and local tender points (TP) were chosen according to individual pain patterns and stimulated once or twice a week until delivery or complete recovery in acupuncture patients. Control patients were given no sham stimulation.

Throughout the study period each patient made weekly visual analog scale (VAS) evaluations of maximal and minimal pain intensity as well as three-point assessments of pain intensity during various activities.

During the study period, VAS scores of pain intensity decreased over time in 60% of patients in the acupuncture group and in 14% of those in the control group.

At the end of the study period, 43% of the acupuncture patients were less bothered than initially by pain during activity compared with 9% of control patients. No serious adverse effects of acupuncture were found in the patients, and there were no adverse effects at all in the infants.

Acupuncture relieves low-back and pelvic pain without serious adverse effects in late pregnancy.

Kvorning N, et al. Acupuncture relieves pelvic and low-back pain in late pregnancy. Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica 83(3):246-50.

Acupuncture Infertility Research

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea: a randomized study on clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in usual care.

By: Witt CM, Reinhold T, Brinkhaus B, Roll S, Jena S, Willich SN. Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. claudia.witt@charite.de

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea.

STUDY DESIGN: In a randomized controlled trial plus non-randomized cohort, patients with dysmenorrhea were randomized to acupuncture (15 sessions over three months) or to a control group (no acupuncture). Patients who declined randomization received acupuncture treatment. All subjects were allowed to receive usual medical care.

RESULTS: Of 649 women (mean age 36.1 +/- 7.1 years), 201 were randomized. After three months, the average pain intensity (NRS 0-10) was lower in the acupuncture compared to the control group: 3.1 (95% CI 2.7; 3.6) vs. 5.4 (4.9; 5.9), difference -2.3 (-2.9; -1.6); P<.001. The acupuncture group had better quality of life and higher costs. (overall ICER 3,011 euros per QALY).

CONCLUSION: Additional acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea was associated with improvements in pain and quality of life as compared to treatment with usual care alone and was cost-effective within usual thresholds.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Randomized controlled study on the analgesic effect of superficial needling plus electrostimulation of sanyinjiao (SP6) for primary dysmenorrhea

By: Zhi LX. Eye-Ear-Nose-Throat Hospital of Jiaozuo Coal Corporation, Jiaozuo 454000, China. lxzh1988@126.com

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the analgesic and therapeutic effects of electro-superficial-acupuncture (ESA) of Sanyinjiao (SP6) for treating primary dysmenorrhea (PD).

METHODS: A total of 171 patients were randomly divided into ESA (n=57), superficial acupuncture (SA) (n=57) and medication (n=57) groups. For patients in SA group, bilateral SP6 were punctured superficially with special single-use needles, and for those in ESA group, after puncturing, electric stimulation (60 Hz, 2-3 V) was applied to SP6 for 30 min. Patients of medication group were ordered to take Brufen sustained-release capsules (0.3 mg, b. i. d., for 3 days), then, take it again from the 3rd day on before the onset of menstruation to the 2nd day after the onset. The cumulative score of clinical symptoms were evaluated before and after the treatment.

RESULTS: Comparison among 3 groups showed that the difference values of score (pre-treatment--post-treatment) of both ESA and SA groups were significantly bigger than that of medication group (P<0.001). After the treatment from 1 min to 30 min, patients with complete relief of dysmenorrhea of ESA group were significantly more than those of SA group during the 1st menstrual cycle (P<0.05). Results of intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis showed that of the three 57 cases in ESA, SA and medication groups, the cured cases were 40, 38 and 10, the markedly effective were 9, 10 and 27, the effective were 5, 4 and 7, and the failed were 3, 5 and 13, with the total effective rates being 94.74%, 91.23% and 77.19% respectively. The effective rates of ESA and SA groups were significantly higher than that of medication group (P<0.01), and the results of per-protocol analysis (PP) were similar to those of ITT analysis.

CONCLUSION: The analgesic effect of both ESA and SA at SP6 for PD patients is significantly better than that of oral administration of Brufen.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Observation on ear point taping and pressing therapy for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea

By: Wu RD, Zhang HD, Lin LF. Rehabilitation Section, Yongchun Hospital of Quanzhou City, Fujian 362600, China. qyllcb@sina.com

OBJECTIVE: To observe therapeutic effect and prognosis of ear point taping and pressing therapy for primary dysmenorrhea.

METHODS: One hundred and fourteen cases were randomly divided into an ear taping and pressing group of 60 cases and a western medication group of 54 cases. The ear taping and pressing group were treated by ear point taping and pressing at Shenmen, Zigong (uterus), Neifenmi (endorine), Pizhixia (subcortex), Jiaogan (sympathesis) and Shen (kidney), which were taped and pressed by a adhesive plaster with Vaccaria seeds. The western medication group were treated with oral administration of Indomeixin enteric tablets. The therapeutic effects were assessed after treatment of 3 menstrual cycles.

RESULTS: The total effective rate was 91.7% in the ear taping and pressing group and 77.8% in the western medication group with a significant difference between the two group (P < 0.05); and the long-term therapeutic effect in the ear taping and pressing group was better than that in the western medication group.

CONCLUSION: Ear point taping and pressing therapy has significant therapeutic effect on primary dysmenorrhea.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Analysis on therapeutic effect of substance-partitioned moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4) and shenque (CV 8) for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea of cold-damp type

By: Li WL, Liu L, Sun LH. TCM College of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China. meibaoyu@126.com

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of substance-partitioned moxibustion on primary dysmenorrhea (PD).

METHODS: One hundred and thirty-eight cases of PD were randomly divided into two groups, the treatment group (n=78) were treated with substance-partitioned moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Shenque (CV 8), once a day; and the control group (n=60) treated with oral administration of Yueyueshu Powder, twice a day, 10g each time. They were treated for 3 menstrual cycles.

RESULTS: The total effective rate and the index of therapeutic effect were 96.1% and 90.8% in the treatment group, and 88.3% and 76.2% in the control group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Clinical therapeutic effect of substance-partitioned moxibustion on primary dysmenorrhea is positive.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture and Maternity Care

A study was conducted outlining the circumstances of use and patient perspectives regarding the acupuncture service offered in an antenatal clinic at an Australian public hospital. Study participants were recruited from women attending the antenatal clinic. Upon completion of their course of acupuncture treatment, 52 women were given a questionnaire, of which 37 (71%) were completed and returned. Of the 37 women who attended the acupuncture clinic, 18 (49%) had previously used at least one form of complementary medicine and therapy. The most common reason for treatment was physiological symptoms including back pain, symphysis pubis dysfunction and sciatica. All 37 women stated that the acupuncture improved their well-being and this finding was statistically significant (P<0.001). These findings are offered as a means of identifying potential issues for future investigation in this under-researched area.

N.Hope-Allan, et al. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery. 2004 Nov;10(4):229-32

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture for Depression During Pregnancy

Sixty-one pregnant women with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to one of three treatments over an eight week period.

Twenty women received active acupuncture, twenty-one received active control acupuncture, and twenty received massage. Acupuncture treatments were standardized, but individually tailored, and were provided in a double-blind fashion.

The response rates at the end of the acute phase were statistically significantly higher for the group that received active acupuncture (69%) than for the women who received massage (32%), with an intermediate response rate (47%).

The active acupuncture group also showed a significantly higher average rate of reduction in BDI scores from baseline to the end of the first month of treatment than the massage group.

In conclusion, acupuncture holds promise for the treatment of depression during pregnancy.

Manber R, et al. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University. 401, Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA 94305, United States.

Acupuncture Infertility Research

PREGNANCY

Acupuncture for insomnia in pregnancy--a prospective, quasi-randomised, controlled study.

da Silva JB, Nakamura MU, Cordeiro JA, Kulay LJ.

Medical School of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil. jbgsilva@hotmail.com

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to test the effects of acupuncture on insomnia in a group of pregnant women under real life conditions, and to compare the results with a group of patients undergoing conventional treatment alone (sleep hygiene).

METHODS: A total of 30 conventionally treated pregnant women were allocated at random into groups with or without acupuncture. Seventeen patients formed the study group and 13 the control group. The pregnant women scored the severity of insomnia using a Numerical Rating Scale from 0 to 10. Women were followed up for eight weeks and interviewed five times, at two-week intervals.

RESULTS: Eight women dropped out, five in the study group and three in the control group. The study group reported a larger reduction on insomnia rating (5.1) than the control group (0.0), a difference which was statistically significant (P = 0.0028). Average insomnia scores decreased by at least 50% over time in nine (75%) patients in the study group and in three (30%) of the control group.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that acupuncture alleviates insomnia during pregnancy and further research is justified.

Acupuncture Infertility Research

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture for Pregnant Women with Pelvic Girdle Pain

Elden H, Ladfors L, et al. Perinatal Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for the Health of Women and Children, Sahlgrenska Academy, East Hospital, 41685 Gothenburg, Sweden.

A recent randomized, single blind and controlled study was conducted in order to compare the effects of standard treatment, standard treatment with acupuncture, and standard treatment with stabilizing exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. 386 pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain were randomly assigned to three groups: for six weeks with standard treatment (n=130), standard treatment plus acupuncture (n= 125), or standard treatment plus stabilizing exercises (n= 131). A visual analogue scale was used to measure the pain and an independent examiner did an assessment of the severity of the pain before and after treatment.

After treatment, the stabilizing exercise group had less pain than the standard group in the morning and in the evening. The acupuncture group also had less pain than the standard treatment group in the morning and in the evening. However, the acupuncture group had less pain in the evening than the stabilizing exercise group. Attenuation of pelvic girdle pain as assessed by the independent examiner was greatest in the acupuncture group.

The study concluded that acupuncture and stabilizing exercises were effective complements to standard treatment for the management of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Also, acupuncture was superior to stabilizing exercises in this study.

Acupuncture Infertility Research

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Performance of acupuncture as labor analgesia in the clinical setting

Nesheim BI, Kinge R.

Department of Obstetrics, Ullevaal University Hospital, University of Oslo. Oslo. Norway.

Background. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that acupuncture during labor can reduce the use of epidural analgesia and meperidine. To supplement these trials, we have designed an observational study to answer the research question: "Do laboring women in a normal hospital setting who receive acupuncture require less epidural analgesia than those who do not receive acupuncture?"

Setting: Delivery ward of a tertiary care University hospital in Norway.

Subjects: All attempted vaginal labors during the period 01.12.99-31.12.03 (n=17,741).

Statistical analysis: Multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results. The dependent variable in the regression analysis was use of epidural analgesia. The independent variables were: use of acupuncture, use of nitrous oxide, use of meperidine, parity, ethnicity, age, duration of pregnancy, type of labor (induced or not), and duration of first stage of labor. In the multivariate analysis the odds ratio for having an epidural was 0.6 (95% CI 0.5-0.7) for the patients having acupuncture compared to those not having acupuncture.

Conclusions. Women having acupuncture as labor analgesia in the clinical setting have a reduced use of epidural analgesia.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture therapy in the comprehensive treatment of salpingo oophoritis (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)

by Titova NG; Khashukoeva AZ; Korneev BM.

Akusherstvo i Ginekologiia, 1991 Jun(6):44-7. Language: Russian. (uI: 92059775) AT: UCLA Biomed W1 AK975 SRLF W1 AK975 (PE title: Akusherstvo i ginekologiia.)

Abstract: Follow-up and therapy of 136 patients with nonspecific salpingo-oophoritis evidence the efficacy of acupuncture included in a complex of therapeutic measures for the treatment of this condition, as compared to traditional therapeutic modalities.

Acupuncture therapy is conductive to shortening in-hospital therapy, to full-value normalization of the body immunobiologic defense and of the autonomic nervous system, and to a reduction of the incidence of the condition recurrences.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Protocol of cervical maturation by acupuncture

by Tremeau ML; Fontanie-Ravier P; Teurnier F; Demouzon J.

Journal de Gynecologie, Obstetrique et Biologie de la Reproduction, 1992, 21(4):375-80. Language: French. (UI: 92325387) Pub type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial. AT: UCLA Biomed W1 J0269K (PE title: Journal de gynecologie, obstetrique et biologie de la reproduction.)

Abstract: Protocol was carried out on 98 patients who were divided into three groups selected as (one control group, two "placebo" group, and three treated with acupuncture). This protocol showed that it was possible to improve cervical maturation if acupuncture sessions were carried out at the beginning of the 9th month. The Bishop scores in the three groups after 10 days interval show that there was a significant progression of 2.61 points in the group treated with acupuncture as against only 0.89 and 1.08 in the placebo and control groups.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Long Dan Xie Gan Tang for the Treatment Chronic Pelvic Inflammation

Jin Y. Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Affiliated to Zhejiang College of TCM, Hangzhou 31000, China.

A study was conducted in order to observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on chronic pelvic inflammation. Thirty-six cases of chronic pelvic inflammation were treated with acupuncture, medicinal cake moxibustion and the formula Long Dan Xie Gan Tang. This treatment provided a cure in 9 cases, obvious effect in 16 cases, effect in 7 cases and no effect in 4 cases. Therefore, acupuncture, moxibustion and Long Dan Xie Gan Tang used together can enhance the therapeutic effects on chronic pelvic inflammation.

Acupuncture Infertility Research

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Chinese traditional medicine yi kang ling to treat immunity infertility caused by anti-sperm antibody: the experimental research II

Dai XL, Cui YX, Wang YM, Hu YA, Xu JP, Yao B, Li BT. Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing General Hospital, Nanjing Command, PLA, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2003 Dec;9(9):713-5 [Article in Chinese]

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Chinese traditional medicine Yi Kang Ling (YKL) on immunity infertility caused by anti-sperm antibodies (AsAb).

METHODS: With the AsAb infertile rabbit as the experimental model, seventy-five pairs of New zealand rabbits were divided into three group including YKL treatment group (sub-divided into mini-, midi- and maxi-dosage groups), prednisone treatment group and non-treatment group. Rabbits of the YKL treatment sub-groups were further divided into M+F- (male positive, female negative), M-F+, (male negative, female positive) and M+F+ (male positive, female positive) pairs according to their initial AsAb detection results. The control group consisted of five pairs of normal rabbits. When the expected AsAb reversing ratio was achieved, the rabbits were matted and observed for the number of the pregnant and the weight of the newborn.

RESULTS: Statistics showed that in M+F- pairs both the midi-dosage of YKL and prednisone treatment groups had fertility, in the mini- and maxi-dosage of YKL treatment groups, 20% of the female rabbits failed to be pregnant, while in the non-treatment group, 60% female rabbits remained sterile. The sterile ratios of the M-F+ pairs in the mini-, midi- and maxi-dosage of YKL and prednisone treatment groups were 0, 20%, 25% and 25%, respectively, while the sterile ratio in the non-treatment M-F+ group was 40%. In M+F+ groups, the sterile ratios of the three YKL sub-groups, prednisone treatment and non-treatment groups were 20%, 20% and 60% respectively. In the control group the sterile ratio was 20%. The weight of the newborn rabbits were around 50 grams with no visible malformation.

CONCLUSIONS: YKL can effectively reverse the AsAb positive results, and restore the fertility of female rabbits. Mini-dosage of YKL for 45 days produced the best results and maxi-dosage of YKL had no negative effects on the weight of the newborn rabbit.

Acupuncture Infertility Research

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

The Chinese Medicinal Herbal Treatment of 21 Cases of (Female) Genital Sores

by Hong Jian-nan & Wang Ru, Zhong Yi Za Zhi

(The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine), #2, 1994, p. 98.

According to the authors, the modern Western medical conditions of Bartholin's cyst, vulval abscesses, postpartum infection of an episiotomy wound, and other such bacterial infections are types of acute pyogenic, inflammatory conditions which TCM simply refers to as yin chuang, (female) genital sores. From 1986-1991, the authors treated 21 cases using Chinese medicinals which clear heat and quicken the blood with entirely satisfactory results.

Of the 21 women treated, there were 15 cases of Bartholin's cysts, 4 cases of postpartum infection of episiotomy wounds, and 2 cases of vulval or external genital abscesses. The youngest patient was 20 years old and the oldest was 65. Two women were unmarried and 19 were married. The shortest course of disease was 4 days and the longest was more than 1 year. In most of the patients, on examination, there was either open wounds or obvious redness, swelling, heat, and pain in the local region. In those women with postpartum infections of episiotomy wounds, the largest lesion was 10 cm x 4 cm x 3 cm and the smallest was 4 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm.

The formula used consisted of: Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bai), 30g, Radix Sophorae Flavescentis (Ku Shen), 30g, Rhizoma Coptidis Chinensis (Huang Lian), 6g, Fructus Forsythiae Suspensae (Lian Qiao), 15g, Radix Rubrus Paeoniae Lactiflorae (Chi Shao), 30g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Dan Shen), 30g, and Lignum Sappanis (Su Mu), 30g.

These Chinese medicinals were soaked in water for 30 minutes. Then more water was added in order to cover these medicinals to a depth of 3cm. They were next decocted down to 20ml. Each ji was decocted 3 times and the decocted fluid added together. This fluid was then allowed to cool to 35-37_C. Each evening before sleep, the patients took a sitz bath in this medicinal fluid. If there was an open wound, each day, after the doctors made their rounds (i.e., in the morning), the wound was rinsed with Coptis and Phellodendron water. Afterwards, Hong Fen Gao (Mercuric Oxide Paste) was applied to transform putrefaction and generate (new) flesh. Ten days equaled one course of treatment.

All 21 cases were cured with this treatment and all their symptoms disappeared. Four cases were cured in one course of treatment, 15 cases in two courses of treatment, and two cases in two courses of treatment.

Case history: Zhang X, female, 26 years old. The patient had had a postpartum infection of an episiotomy wound for nine days before being admitted to the hospital. The affected area was red, swollen, hot, and painful. The wound was approximately 4cm x 2cm x 2cm in size. It exuded a copious amount of pus. Treatment was given as described above. Three days later, the superficial skin was beginning to heal. Yu Hong Gao (Jade Red Paste) was applied to generate flesh and close the wound. Five days later, there was no further bacterial growth. After two courses of treatment, the disease was cured and the patient was discharged from the hospital.

Research: Atlanta Acupuncture Fertility

Acupuncture for Infertility Decatur GA Atlanta

Randomized controlled study on superficial needling for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea

By: Zhi LX. Eye-Ear-Nose-Throat Hospital of Jiaozuo Coal Corporation, Henan 454000, China. lxzh1988@126.com

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of superficial needling at distal and proximal acupoints on primary dysmenorrhea (PD).

METHODS: One hundred and twenty cases of PD were randomly divided into a treatment group (n=60) and a control group (n=60). The treatment group were treated with superficial needling at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and the control group with oral administration of indometacin entric-coater tablets.

RESULTS: Of the 120 cases, 116 cases completed the investigation. The total effective rate was 93.3% in the treatment group and 75.0% in the control group. The comprehensive therapeutic effect and the cured rate in the treatment group were significantly better than that in the control group (P<0. 001), with a more rapid effect and lasting a longer time than the control group.

CONCLUSION: Clinical therapeutic effect of superficial needling at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on primary dysmenorrhea is better than that of oral administration of indometacin entric-coater tablets.