HubMed - Electro Acupuncture
Acupuncture for acute management and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012; 12: CD007700
Wong V, Cheuk DK, Lee S, Chu V
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be life threatening depending on the severity of the insult to the brain. It can also cause a range of debilitating sequelae which require cognitive, motor, communication, emotional, or behavioral rehabilitation of varying intensity and duration. A number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that acupuncture may be beneficial in the acute treatment and rehabilitation of TBI.To determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the acute management or rehabilitation (or both) of patients with a TBI, including cognitive, neurological, motor, communication, emotional, or behavioral complications, or a combination of such complications.We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library),MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO and others. We also searched the Chinese Acupuncture Studies Register, the Studies Register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, NCCAM, and NIH Clinical Studies Database.Three major Mainland Chinese academic literature databases (CNKI, VIP and Wang Fang Data) were also searched using keywords in simplified Chinese.We searched all databases through December 2009, and some searches have been updated to October 2012.Randomized controlled studies evaluating different variants of acupuncture and involving participants of any age who had suffered a TBI. Included trials compared acupuncture with placebo or sham treatment, or acupuncture plus other treatments compared with the same other treatments.We excluded trials that only compared different variants of acupuncture or compared acupuncture alone against other treatments alone, as they did not yield the net effect of acupuncture.Two review authors identified potential articles from the literature search and extracted data independently using a data extraction form. We performed methodological assessment of included studies using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias.We were unable to perform quantitative data analysis due to insufficient included studies and available data.Four RCTs, including 294 participants, reported outcomes specified by this review. Three investigated electro-acupuncture for TBI while one investigated acupuncture for acute TBI. The results seem to suggest that acupuncture is efficacious for these indications,however the low methodological quality of these studies renders the results questionable. No adverse effects of acupuncture were reported in any of the studies.The low methodological quality of the included studies does not allow us to make conclusive judgments on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in either the acute treatment and/or rehabilitation of TBI. Its beneficial role for these indications remains uncertain.Further research with high quality trials is required.
HubMed - far infrared therapy
Effect of Far Infrared Therapy on Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial.
Am J Kidney Dis. 2013 Mar 6;
Lin CC, Yang WC, Chen MC, Liu WS, Yang CY, Lee PC
BACKGROUND: Malfunction of the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is an important cause of morbidity and hospitalization in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of far infrared therapy on the maturation and patency of newly created AVFs in patients with chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate of 5-20 mL/min/1.73 m(2). INTERVENTION: 40 minutes of far infrared therapy 3 times weekly for a year. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome is the rate of AVF malfunction within 12 months, with malfunction defined as either: (1) thrombosis without thrill for AVFs not undergoing HD or (2) receiving any type of interventional procedure due to a lower Kt/V (<1.2) for patients undergoing HD. Secondary outcomes include: (1) cumulative primary unassisted AVF patency, defined as time from creation of the AVF to the first episode of AVF malfunction; (2) physiologic maturation of the AVF by the definition of AVF access blood flow (Qa) ≥500 mL/min and AVF diameter ≥4 mm at 3 months; and (3) clinical maturation of the AVF suitable for HD at 1 year. MEASUREMENTS: AVF Qa was measured by Doppler ultrasonography at 2 days and 1, 2, 3, and 12 months. RESULTS: We enrolled 122 patients who were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 60) and control (n = 62) groups. In comparison to controls, patients in the intervention group had higher Qa values at 1, 2, 3, and 12 months; a higher rate of physiologic maturation (90% vs 76%; P = 0.04) at 3 months; and a lower rate of AVF malfunction (12% vs 29%; P = 0.02) but higher rates of AVF cumulative unassisted patency (87% vs 70%; P = 0.01) and clinical maturation (82% vs 60%; P = 0.008) within 12 months. LIMITATIONS: This is a single-center nonblinded study. CONCLUSIONS: Far infrared therapy improves the access flow, maturation, and patency of newly created AVFs in patients with chronic kidney disease stages 4 and 5.
Google Videos - Cupping Therapy
Cupping Therapy For Lower Back Pain
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HubMed - Laser Acupuncture
[Effects of the renal blood flow at different levels by transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined general anesthesia induced controlled hypotension].
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2012 Nov; 32(11): 1512-5
Fang JQ, Zhang LL, Shao XM
To observe the intervention of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the renal blood flow at different levels of mean arterial pressure (MAP) in controlled hypotension.Forty-two male beagle dogs were randomly divided into seven groups, i. e., the general anesthesia group, the 50% controlled group, the 40% controlled group, the 30% controlled group, the 50% experimental group, the 40% experimental group, and the 30% experimental group, 6 in each group. Beagles in the general anesthesia group were not treated with controlled hypotension, and the target MAP was achieved in those of the rest groups and maintained for 60 min. In the experimental groups, TEAS was applied to bilateral Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Quchi (LI11) at 2/100 Hz with the stimulation strength of (4 +/- 1) mA starting from the stability of their physiological conditions to 60 min of maintaining the target MAP level. The changes of the renal blood flow were monitored at different time points using laser Doppler.From starting pressure control to the target MAP level, the renal blood flow was significantly lower in the 30% controlled group than in the general anesthesia group and the basic level of the same group (P < 0.05), while there was no obvious change in the 30% experimental group. In maintaining the blood pressure, the renal blood flow was significantly lower in the 50% controlled group, the 40% controlled group, the 30% controlled group, and the 30% experimental group than in the general anesthesia group (P < 0.05), while there was no obvious change in the 50% experimental group or the 40% experimental group. By the end of blood pressure recovery, the renal blood flow restored to the basic level in the 50% controlled group, the 50% experimental group, and the 40% experimental group (P > 0.05), while it was not restored to the basic level in the 40% controlled group, the 30% controlled group, and the 30% experimental group (P < 0.05).TEAS combined general anesthesia in controlled hypotension could effectively improve the renal blood flow, thus protecting the kidney.
HubMed - holistic Health
What must be the Pillars of Iran's Health System in 2025? Values and Principles of Health System Reform Plan.
Iran J Public Health. 2013; 42(2): 197-205
Rajabi F, Esmailzadeh H, Rostamigooran N, Majdzadeh R
Preparing long term reformatory plan for the health system, like other macro plans, requires guiding principles which is according to the values, and as a bridge, connect the ideals and values to the goals. This study was designed with the purpose of explaining the values and principles of health system, and as a pre-requisite to compilation of Iran's health system reform plan at 2025.The document of values and principles of health system reform plan for 2025 was developed by reviewing the literature and receiving the opinions of senior experts of health system, and was criticized in focus group discussion sessions of experts and decision makers.THE VALUES OF IRAN ARE: dignity of human, the right to maximum attainable level of health, comprehensive health, equity and social cohesion. The principles of this health system include: institutionalizing the ethical values, responsiveness and accountability, equitable access (utilization), prevention and health promotion, community participation, inter-sectoral collaboration, integrated stewardship, benefit from innovation and desired technology, human resources promotion and excellence and harmony.Based on the perception of cultural and religious teachings in Iran, protecting of human dignity and human prosperity are the ultimate social goal. In this sense, health and healthy humans, in its holistic concept (physical, mental, social health and spiritual) are the center and development in any form should lead to the human prosperity in a way that each of the individuals could enjoy the maximum attainable level of health in its holistic meaning and in a faire manner.
