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Chronic Neurological Syndromes Tennis Elbow and Sports Injuries
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Stroke and Neuralgiasa
SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS
Stroke, Neuralgias and Neuropathies A one year follow-up study
on the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of stroke patients in the
subacute stage: a randomized, controlled study. OBJECTIVE: We recently reported
that acupuncture treatment of stroke patients in the subacute stage gave
additive therapeutic benefit. The purpose of the present study was to
determine, approximately one year after discharge from the rehabilitation
hospital, whether the group differences still remained. DESIGN: The
patients were randomized into two groups: one acupuncture group and one
control group, considering gender and side of hemispheral localization of
lesion. With regard to the main parameters the groups were comparable at
baseline. SETTING: Initially, 45 stroke patients admitted to Sunnaas
Rehabilitation Hospital were included in the study: median 40 days post
stroke. SUBJECTS: Forty-one of the patients were available one year after
the treatment period: 21 patients in the acupuncture group and 20
controls. INTERVENTION: All subjects received an individually adapted,
multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme. The acupuncture group received
additional treatment with classical acupuncture for 30 min three to four
times weekly for six weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The patients were
evaluated at inclusion, after six weeks and approximately 12 months after
discharge from the rehabilitation hospital. The Motor Assessment Scale
(MAS) for stroke patients, Sunnaas Index of Activity of Daily Living (ADL)
and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) were used. In addition, the social
situations of the patients were recorded at one year follow-up. RESULTS:
The results show that the acupuncture group improved significantly more
than the controls, both during the treatment period of six weeks, and even
more during the following year, both according to MAS, ADL, NHP and the
social situation. CONCLUSION: Although the mechanism of the effects is
debatable, there seems to be a positive long-term effect of acupuncture
given in the subacute stage post stroke. Clin Rehabil 1997 Aug;11(3):192-200
Effects of acupuncture at
fengchi point (GB 20) on cerebral blood flow. Guang'anmen Hospital, China
Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing. J Tradit Chin Med 1998
Jun;18(2):102-5
A research on scalp
acupuncture for cerebral infarction. In order to evaluate the clinical
value of the describes in the Standard Nomenclature of Scalp Acupuncture
Lines, 105 patients suffering from cerebral infarction have been treated
by needling along the anterior and posterior oblique lines of
vertex-temple, and the line 1 and line 2 lateral to vertex. The markedly
effective rate was 71.43%, and the total effective rate 88.57%. After
treatment, such symptoms as hemiplegia, lingual dysfunction, facial and
tongue paralysis, and the laboratory indexes of blood fat, fibrinogen and
hemorrheology were obviously improved (P < 0.01 or 0.05). The
therapeutic effect of scalp acupuncture was obviously better than that of
Western medicine (P < 0.01). J Tradit Chin Med 1997
Sep;17(3):194-7
Clinical trial of
electrical acupuncture on hemiplegic stroke patients. To assess the efficacy of
electrical acupuncture in the rehabilitation of patients with hemiplegia
in stroke, we randomized 128 patients within 2 wk of stroke onset to
receive either comprehensive rehabilitation plus electrical acupuncture (n
= 59) or comprehensive rehabilitation only (n = 59). Electrical
acupuncture was administered by electrical stimulation of acupuncture
points through adhesive surface electrodes five times per week.
Neurological status (Brunnstrom's stage) and the Chinese version of the
Functional Independence Measure were assessed before treatment and at
discharge. Patients treated with electrical acupuncture had a shorter
duration of hospital stay for rehabilitation and better neurological and
functional outcomes than the control group had, with a significant
difference in scores for self-care and locomotion (P = 0.02). This result
did not postulate the previous study that acupuncture therapy for stroke
patients should depend on needle manual and "de qi" response. We
suggest that electrical acupuncture through adhesive surface electrodes in
conjunction with current optimal rehabilitation programs is a convenient
and effective therapy for stroke patients. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 1999
Mar-Apr;78(2):117-22
Thalamic neuron theory:
theoretical basis for the role played by the central nervous system (CNS)
in the causes and cures of all diseases.
The
Thalamic Neuron Theory (TNT) postulates that the central nervous system
(CNS) is involved in all disease processes, as the CNS not only processes
incoming physical and chemical information from the periphery, it also
sends out physiological commands to the periphery in order to maintain
homeostasis for the entire body. Inherent in its capacity to learn and
adapt (i.e. to habituate) is the CNS' ability to learn to be sick
(pathological habituation) by looking in certain deranged central neural
circuitries, leading to chronic disease states. These pathologically
habituated states can be reversed by dehabituation through manipulation or
modulation of the abnormal neural circuits by physical means (physical
neuromodulation) like acupuncture, or chemical means (chemoneuromodulation)
such as Chinese medicine, homeopathy or other modern medical techniques in
a repetitious manner to mimic the habituation process.
Chemoneuromodulation can also be achieved by delivery of minute amounts of
pharmacological agents to specific sites in the periphery such as the
acupuncture loci. It is hypothesized that humoral and neurotrophic factors
and cytokines could be highly effective neuromodulating agents. TNT
assumes the blue print for embryological development is embodied in the
phylogenetically ancient part of the brain. This primordial master plan,
organized in the form of a homunculus, possibly encased in a small
nucleus,retains control over the
subsequently evolved parts of the brain so that the entire CNS functions
like a composite homunculus which controls the physiological functions of
the entire body. TNT further postulates that the master homunculus takes
the shape of a curled up embryo with its large head buried close to its
pelvic region, with its large feet and hands crossed over to the
contralateral sides. Neuronal clusters along a neuronal chain in the
homunculus represent acupuncture points in the periphery. The neuronal
chain itself represents a meridian and Chi is nothing more than the
phenomenon of neurotransmissions. Certain new theoretical concepts such as
the principles of Adynamic Stat and Bilaterality are also presented. Many
difficult to explain clinical observations in modern medicine, Chinese
herbal medicine, acupuncture and homeopathy can now be adequately
explained using TNT. Based on this model, new therapeutic techniques can
be launched to combat a whole host of intractable diseases. Med Hypotheses 1994
Nov;43(5):285-302
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