BACKGROUND The cholinergic and opioid systems play important roles in modulating inflammation. This study tests whether auricular acupuncture (AA) produces anti-inflammatory effects via opioid and peripheral cholinergic receptors in a rat model. METHODS Rats were anesthetized with chloral hydrate and inflammation was induced by intraplantar injection of carrageenan. Electroacupuncture was per...

BACKGROUND During their reproductive years about 10% of women experience some kind of symptoms before menstruation (PMS) in a degree that affects their quality of life (QOL). Acupuncture and herbal medicine has been a recent favorable therapeutic approach. Thus we aimed to review the effects of acupuncture and herbal medicine in the past decade as a preceding research in order to further invest...

BACKGROUND Vagus nerve stimulation is capable of regulating autonomic nerve function. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the effect of auricular acupuncture (AA) is mediated by the vagus. This study was designed to investigate the effect of AA on gastrointestinal (GI) motility and the relationship of this effect with the vagus nerve. METHODS 50 rats were divided into five groups for observation...

PURPOSE Women with breast cancer (BC) treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) may experience joint symptoms that can lead to discontinuation of effective therapy. We examined whether acupuncture improves AI-induced arthralgias in women with early-stage BC. METHODS We conducted a randomized, controlled, blinded study comparing true acupuncture (TA) versus sham acupuncture (SA) twice weekly for 6...

PURPOSE: To test the safety and efficacy of acupuncture in reducing hot flashes in men with advanced prostate cancer (CaP) undergoing androgen deprivation therapy. METHODS: A single-arm, pilot study was undertaken to evaluate acupuncture treatment for hot flashes experienced by CaP patients undergoing hormonal therapy. Sixteen advanced CaP patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) ...

BACKGROUND Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are increasingly utilised for resolving difficulties conceiving. These technologies are expensive to both the public purse and the individual consumers. Acupuncture is widely used as an adjunct to ART with indications that it may assist reducing the time to conception and increasing live birth rates. Heterogeneity is high between treatment pro...

Background: Headaches are prevalent among Service members with traumatic brain injury (TBI); 80% report chronic or recurrent headache. Evidence for nonpharmacologic treatments, such as acupuncture, are needed. Objective: The aim of this research was to determine if two types of acupuncture (auricular acupuncture [AA] and traditional Chinese acupuncture [TCA]) were feasible and more effective th...

The activity of the VN (vagus nerve) is negatively associated with risk factors such as stress and smoking, morbidity and mortality. In contrast, it is also a target of therapeutic intervention. VN stimulation is used in depression and epilepsy. Because of its high invasivity and exclusive application to therapy-resistant patients, there is interest in less invasive methods affecting the VN. Se...

The number of caesarean sections (CS) in comparison with spontaneous deliveries is growing in most industrial countries, which raises economic and medical questions. The pathophysiology of post-CS pain includes both somatic and visceral components, and may give rise to pain intensity of 7, using the Verbal Rating Scale 0–10. Despite a variety of analgesic options, the quality of post-CS pain co...