ΥΓΕΙΑ health

Maria Dalamagka  New research concludes that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is characterized by intense pain in the face and is considered one of the most painful experiences a human can possibly experience. It is estimated that one in 15,000 people suffer from trigeminal neuralgia. TN is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve, which is a bilaterally paired cranial nerve with three branches: ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve and the mandibular nerve. The trigeminal nerve is responsible for sensing pressure (tactition), temperature (thermoception) and pain (nociception). It is also involved in facial motor function for the muscles of mastication. The study focuses specifically on Liver Yang excess type trigeminal neuralgia and compares deep needling with shallow needling acupuncture techniques. The acupuncture points used in the study are St7 (Xiaguan), LI4 (Hegu), LV3 (Taichong), UB2 (Zanzhu), St2 (Sibai) and Ji...

Abstract This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of both acupuncture and bee venom acupuncture as adjuvant therapies for idiopathic Parkinson's disease. We recruited 43 adults with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who had been on a stable dose of antiparkinsonian medication for at least 1 month. They were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: acupuncture, bee venom acupuncture, or control. All participants were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Berg Balance Scale, and the time and number of steps required to walk 30m. Treatment groups underwent stimulation of 10 acupuncture points using acupuncture or bee venom acupuncture twice a week for 8 weeks. The initial assessment was repeated at the completion of treatment. The control group did not receive any treatment. Participants in the bee venom acupuncture group showed significant improvement...

Maria Dalamagka  New research published in the Annals of Oncology (Oxford University Press, Oxford Journals) concludes that acupuncture is effective for relieving dry mouth caused by cancer radiation therapy. A sample size of 145 patients with chronic radiation induced xerostomia, dry mouth, was studied in a randomized investigation of acupuncture treatments compared with oral care education. The researchers noted that acupuncture was superior to oral care and produced pronounced and clinically significant results. The researchers documented that acupuncture significantly reduced severe dry mouth, reduced issues of sticky saliva and reduced the need for patients to sip fluids to swallow food. Acupuncture also significantly reduced the need to wake up at night to drink. The researchers concluded that eight acupuncture treatments performed at a rate of one per week was superior to oral care education for the relief of xerostomia induced by cancer radiation therapy. I...