The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · May 2014
Clinical TrialDextrose and morrhuate sodium injections (prolotherapy) for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective open-label trial.
This study determined whether injection with hypertonic dextrose and morrhuate sodium (prolotherapy) using a pragmatic, clinically determined injection schedule for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) results in improved knee pain, function, and stiffness compared to baseline status. ⋯ Prolotherapy using dextrose and morrhuate sodium injections for participants with mild-to-severe KOA resulted in safe, significant, sustained improvement of WOMAC-based knee pain, function, and stiffness scores compared to baseline status.
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J Altern Complement Med · May 2014
Observational StudyAuricular acupressure helps improve sleep quality for severe insomnia in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a pilot study.
Insomnia is common in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Long-term use of sedative-hypnotic agents is often correlated with increasing adverse effects. Auricular acupressure therapy (AAT) applied to specific auricular acupoints for managing insomnia has achieved favorable outcomes in a hemodialysis unit. This pilot study was performed to demonstrate the potential of AAT for insomnia in MHD patients and to prepare for a future randomized controlled trial. ⋯ In this single-center pilot study, complementary AAT for MHD patients with severe insomnia was feasible and well tolerated and showed encouraging results for sleep quality.