Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
-
Plantar heel pain (plantar fasciitis) is a common and disabling condition. A variety of treatment options are available to patients with plantar heel, however the evidence for these treatments is generally weak and the best way to manage plantar heel pain remains unclear. Trigger point dry needling is increasingly used as an adjunct therapy for musculoskeletal pain. In patients with plantar heel pain this technique is thought to improve muscle activation patterns, increase joint range of motion and alleviate pain. However, there have been no randomised controlled trials that have evaluated the effectiveness of dry needling for plantar heel pain. ⋯ The response rate was 75% (n=30), 100% (n=30) and 93% (n=28) in the first, second and third rounds respectively. Round 1 helped generate a list of 10 items that were deemed important for developing a dry needling protocol for plantar heel pain. These 10 items were subsequently presented in Round 2. Of these, 5 of the 10 items met the criteria to be included in a dry needling protocol for plantar heel pain that was presented in the final round, Round 3. Items that did not meet the criteria were either removed or amended and then presented in Round 3. In the final round, 93% of participants (IQR range = 1) agreed the proposed dry needling protocol for plantar heel pain was adequate. The protocol can now be used in future research projects designed to evaluate the effectiveness of dry needling for plantar heel pain.
-
Controlled Clinical Trial
Acupuncture and massage therapy for neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury: an exploratory study.
The study sought to explore the possibility of using acupuncture and massage therapy for relieving neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). ⋯ Neuropathic pain following SCI is often only partially responsive to most interventions. Results from this study indicate, however, that both acupuncture and massage therapy may relieve SCI neuropathic pain. For this reason, larger randomised controlled trials are warranted for assessing the long-term effects of these treatments.
-
To find appropriate and effective treatment options for chronic pain syndromes is a challenging task. Multimodal treatment approach has been gaining acceptance for chronic pain. ⋯ Low dose naltrexone also acts on both these systems, and upregulates the opioid and cannabinoid receptors. The authors hypothesise that low dose naltrexone could enhance the pain-relieving effect of acupuncture.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Perioperative acupuncture and postoperative acupressure can prevent postoperative vomiting following paediatric tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.
To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture and acupressure as supplements to standard treatment for postoperative vomiting in children undergoing tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. ⋯ This trial indicates the effectiveness of acustimulation as an adjunct to standard treatment. The results should encourage and promote the implementation of acustimulation for postoperative vomiting in children undergoing adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomised, controlled study of preoperative electroacupuncture for postoperative pain control after cardiac surgery.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of preoperative electroacupuncture (EA) on the need for opioids in the postoperative stage of conventional cardiac surgery. ⋯ Preoperative electro-acupuncture in conventional cardiac surgery may reduce the postoperative consumption of fentanyl.