Category: Acupuncture Research & Miscellaneous Conditions

A small qualitative study in the US of older adults with several co-existing medical conditions, has found that they value acupuncture as a means of reducing medication use, and maintaining physical and mental health. Fifteen patients aged 60 or older, and with at least two chronic medical conditions, were recruited from a no-cost, college-affiliated San Diego acupuncture clinic for low-income older adults. Patients had been having acupuncture treatment for at least one year, usually on a weekly basis.

A substantial number of patients cited medication reduction as a benefit of attending the clinic. Changes in mood, energy levels, digestive disorders, skin rashes and well-being were attributed by patients to acupuncture. Patients viewed regular treatments as a way of dealing with new complaints, and encouraging a healthier lifestyle. They developed a strong trust in the ability of the clinic to support the totality of their health as individuals, and contrasted this with their more impersonal experiences of conventional healthcare.

(Long-Term Acupuncture Therapy for Low-Income Older Adults with Multimorbidity: A Qualitative Study of Patient Perceptions. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 23 October 2017.)

Researchers in Portugal have found that acupuncture can improve walking gait in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Gait impairment was firstly evaluated in 20 patients using the 25-foot walk test. Individuals were then randomised to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture. True acupuncture was associated with a significant decrease in the time taken to walk 25 feet, with 95% of subjects showing an improvement. By contrast, changes in the sham group were not statistically significant, with only 45% of subjects showing an improvement.

(Effects of Acupuncture on Gait of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis . Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 14 April 2017.)

Research from Taiwan suggests that acupuncture improves markers of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease. A total of 59 such patients were randomised to receive either acupuncture or sham treatment. Sessions were given once a week for 12 weeks.

At the end of the treatment period, levels of serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate were found to have improved significantly in the acupuncture group compared with the sham control group. The authors of this feasibility study say that further investigation is now warranted.

(Acupuncture on Renal Function in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Preliminary Controlled Study. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 1 August 2017.)

In the largest randomised trial of acupuncture for allergic asthma to date, German researchers have shown that adding acupuncture to standard care, is associated with improved quality of life compared with standard care alone. A total of 1445 patients (mean age 44) were randomly allocated to receive either routine care or routine care plus up to 15 acupuncture treatments over three months. The overall study comprised three months of treatment plus three months of follow-up.

Acupuncture was associated with a clinically significant improvement in asthma-related quality of life, as well as general mental and physical health. These improvements persisted to at least the end of the six month study period.

(Acupuncture in Patients with Allergic Asthma: A Randomized Pragmatic Trial. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, April 2017.)

A systematic review by a joint American and Chinese team, suggests acupuncture could benefit arrhythmias. The most common example is atrial fibrillation but others were covered in this review. They studied 13 trials, involving nearly 800 patients, and found that:
1) for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, there was no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and conventional treatment ie acupuncture was just as effective;
2) for ventricular premature beat, there was a significant benefit when acupuncture was added to oral administration of anti-arrhythmic drugs compared with the administration of drugs alone;
3) for sinus tachycardia without any other treatment, acupuncture was of benefit.

Some studies were of poor design, so the evidence in favour of acupuncture was not strong, but the authors recommend more rigorous trials so that a proper evaluation of acupuncture can be made.

(Comparative Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Antiarrhythmic Drugs for the Prevention of Cardiac Arrhythmias: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Frontiers in Physiology, 8 June 2017.)