Timed to coincide with the Chinese New Year is the debut of “ES Chi Tonic Herbal Ale”, a new beer formulated for “better internal balance.”

The sudsy concoction is the collaboration of Marin Master Herbalist, Dr Yen-Wei Choong and Marin Brewing Company’s Brewmaster, Arne Johnson. Together the two have created an ale “using a synergistic blend of wild Chinese herbs.” The proprietary blend of ten herbs are cooked for several hours, blended and then the whole thing ferments for for two weeks.  

According to Dr. Choong, “regular beer is cold in nature, or too Yin, which slows the metabolism. By brewing ale with these specially selected herbs, which gently warm-up the Yang energy, there is a better internal balance.”

The beer is available now at Marin Brewing Company and at Bay Area beer fests in the upcoming months.

by Personal Liberty News Desk

According to a new study, acupuncture may be an effective way to treat depression in pregnant women.

Currently, nearly 20 percent of women report symptoms of despair during pregnancy, while approximately 10 percent meet the criteria for major depression. Coping with the disorder can be extremely difficult for many women who do not want to take anti-depressants during pregnancy out of concern for the developing fetus.

“Depression during pregnancy is an issue of concern because it has negative effects on both the mother and the baby as well as the rest of the family,” said study author Rosa Schnyer.

In the study, a total of 150 pregnant women meeting the standards for major depressive disorder were separated into three groups. One-third of the respondents were given acupuncture specific for depression, another one-third was given control or “sham” acupuncture and the others were treated only with massage.

The researchers found that the women who received depression-specific acupuncture experienced a significantly greater decrease in symptoms related to the disorder.

Acupuncture may also be used to help alleviate symptoms associated with headaches, lower back pain and menstrual cramps. 

A new study has shown that acupuncture not only helps reduce hot flashes, but also improves sex drive of breast cancer patients.

The Henry Ford Hospital study revealed that acupuncture, when compared to drug therapy, has a longer-lasting effect on the reduction of hot flashes and night sweats for women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer treatment.

Women also report that acupuncture improves their energy and clarity of thought, and improve their sense of well-being.

“Acupuncture offers patients a safe, effective and durable treatment option for hot flashes, something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors. Compared to drug therapy, acupuncture actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects,” said study lead author Eleanor Walker, M.D., division director of breast services in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital.

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During the study, Walker and her research team recruited 50 patients tested the use of acupuncture to combat vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients as an alternative to drug therapy.

The patients were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or venlafaxine treatment for 12 weeks.

At the end of 12 weeks, all patients stopped their therapy and were followed for one year.

The study found that both groups initially experienced a 50 percent decline in hot flashes and depressive symptoms, indicating that acupuncture is as effective as drug therapy.

However, the acupuncture group continued to experience minimal hot flashes, while the drug therapy group had a significant increase in hot flashes.

The acupuncture group did not experience an increase in the frequency of their hot flashes until three months post-treatment.

The study is published online in the Journal of Oncology.

Source: Indian Express

By Dr. Connie Clemons-Chevis,

THE SUN HERALD (Biloxi, Miss.)
Monday, January 4, 2010

In September 2009, I evaluated a 13-year-old cat for an abdominal mass. The cat was not eating, had lost weight and was very weak. The cat could barely pick up its head and was very dehydrated. A large, softball-size mass was palpable in the abdomen. A poor prognosis was given for the cat and various options were discussed including further work-up for the mass, surgery, euthanasia or palliative treatment.

In addition, the use of Chinese herbs was suggested as another alternative. Neither I nor the owner expected the cat to live very long, but we wanted to give the cat another chance.

Subcutaneous fluids were given for the dehydration, aqua-acupuncture was done and two Chinese herbs were prescribed to boost Qi and energy and to boost the immune system to fight the tumor. As the prognosis was so poor, only a two-week supply of herbs was given.

Two weeks later, the cat was brought in for a recheck. The cat was eating better, drinking water and acting normal. It was strong enough to go outside. A third Chinese herb was prescribed to resolve the stagnation and try to break down the tumor.

Even at this point, there was some doubt as to how long the cat would live. Imagine my surprise when after two months, the owner called for a refill on the herbs. The cat was doing much better.

I saw the cat this week, when it was brought in for acupuncture for chronic sinusitis. The cat looked like a completely different cat. It had gained weight, was eating well and was feeling much better. The abdominal mass is still present but seemed slightly smaller. On this visit, we were able to ultrasound the mass and take measurements. It will be interesting to see what happens with time. Both the owner and I can’t believe this cat is still alive.

TCVM is another alternative available for cancer patients and can include acupuncture, Chinese herbs and food therapy. Complete regression of tumors has been reported using TCVM but doesn’t occur in every case.

The most common benefit seen is an improvement in the quality of life and many clients are very pleased to see their beloved pet feel better.

TCVM can also be used with patients undergoing chemotherapy and can help decrease the side effects.

TCVM is available to pet owners on the coast through Alternative Medicine for Pets.

Dr. Connie Clemons-Chevis, certified in acupuncture, Tui-na and Chinese herbology through Chi Institute in Reddick, Fla., and China National Society of TCVM, offers TCVM services in Bay St. Louis, Escatawpa and Pascagoula, Miss., at Alternative Medicine for Pets.

Shanghai Research Institute

by Zhao Cuiying, Chen Yunfei, Zhao Jiazeng, Chen Hanping, Zhang Yingying, and Hong Xian (Shanghai Research institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai 200030, China)

Abstract: In the study, the antitumor effect was observed by employing HAC-tumor-bearing mice treated with direct moxibustion on point Guanyuan(CV 4 ) (Group M), subcutaneous administration of liposome encapsulated immunomodulators called IMC(Group IMC), and combination of these two methods (Group M + IMC). Parameters reflecting biological characteristics of tumor cells, including 5 kinds of lectins, mitotic cycle, expression of C-erbB-2 oncogene and counts of AgNORs were further investigated. The results showed that treatment with combination of moxibustion and IMC could significantly lower three lectins (ConA, LCA, RCA) among these five lectins (BSL, ConA, LCA,RCA, WGA), significantly reduce the expression of C-erbB-2 oncogene, the counts of AgNORs and the percentage of phase S in HAC tumor cells (compared with Group IMC). Moxibustion or IMC alone did render a certain degree of influence on the above-mentioned parameters, although most of changes were not statistically significant. The above-mentioned results indicated that the antitumor efficacy achieved by treatment with combination of moxibustion and IMC was mainly through its influence on biological characteristics of the tumor cells, namely, its reducing effect on DNA synthesis or on the proliferating rate of tumor cells and its influence on other biological characteristics of tumor cells.

Key Words: Moxibustion, Immunomodulation, Cytobiology

In the past, most of studies on the mechanism of antitumor action of moxibustion and acupuncture usually paid less attention to the influence of cytobiology. As a matter of fact, the development of cancer in host is a rather complicated biological process. In one hand, it is depended on biological character of tumor cell itself, in the other hand, it has a close relationship with the action or reaction between host and tumor, reflecting both sides of struggle statement between the vital energy and pathogenic factors. As the action of acupuncture and moxibustion shows synchronous regulation with multiways, multi-segment and multi-layers. Therefore in addition to studies on the side of immunology, it is relatively important to further investigate the influence of cytobiology which would promote the efficacy of antitumor effect and popularize its clinical practice.

Materials and Methods

Animals: Female C57BL/6 mice were obtained from the small animal section, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai ). They were maintained in pathogen-free conditions and were used at age 6-8 weeks.

Tumors: The HAC tumors are MCA-induced ascites carcinoma of C57BL/6 origin. These tumors were generated in our laboratory and were passaged s. c. for seven generations, at which time a cryopreserved vial from the first generation was thawed and transplanted. The single tumor cell were washed in HBSS(Biofluids, MD) counted, and diluted to a concentration of 5 x 105 cells/ml for transplantation. Treatment methods: The HAC-tumor-bearing mice treated with direct moxibustion on point Guanyuan(Group M) (two cones a day for six days, qod. one cone weighs 1. 5 mg). The second mice group treated with subcutaneous administration of liposome encapsulated immunomodulators (Group IMC). The third group treated with these combination of above two methods (Group M + IMC). The control group treated with nothing but the same dose of saline.

Flow cytometry and sorting: Freshly excised tumor tissues(0.5-2 g, wet weight) were minced into pieces smaller than 1 mm3 and washed with PBS. The mixture was poured through double Nitex sheets and harvested suspension. The supernatant was pipetted off. The pellet was placed in whirlpool mixer added with 2 ml absolute alcohol. After the pellet becoming pooled completely, stored at 4oC. Before experiment, the tumor cells should be digested with RNase (100 ug/ml, Sigma Chemical Co. St Louis. Mo) and pepsase (100 ug/ml, Difco Chemical Co. ) and stained with Ethidium Bromide. Then tested by using EPICS-I system of FCS.

Lectin receptor experiment: Preparation of samples: fresh tumor tissues were placed in 10% formalin for fixation. Formal embedding with paraffin, 5 mm serial section. Methods: adoption of enzyme immunoasssay, (ELA).

The expression of C-erbB-2 and AgNORs: The expression of C-erbB-2 refer to references with partly modifications and so did the test for AgNORs.

Results

Tumor cell cycle test: Table I demonstrates that each group show similar statement in phaseG 1, phase G 2 + M, except phase S. In comparison to group IMC, group M + IMC, and group M showed lower percentage of phase S in HAC tumor cells. The changes were statistically significant.

Lectin receptor experiment: The experiment covers 12 kinds of lectins’ binding with tumor cells. Among them, positive binding percentage range from 70%-100%, the other shows lower percentage (0-10 % ). Each group demonstrates different reaction to the binding percentage of tumor cells. The lowest binding percentage of tumor cells takes place in group M+ IMC. The expression of oncogene: According to table 3 the expression of oncogene was reduced in every group, however, the lowest one was group M + IMC. The changes were statistically significant. AgNORs in each group were similar to the expression of C-erbB-2 oncogene, that is to say, group M + IMC was the lowest one which had statistically significant changes.

Table 1. The Percentage of Tumor Cell Cycles

——————————————————————————–

Phase

Group

n

——————————————————————————–

Phase G1 Phase S Phase G2+M

PI

——————————————————————————–

TB 5 33.9¡À4.1 58.3¡À 4.1 7.8¡À3.8 66.1¡À 4.1

M 6 34.2 ¡À4.3 56.9¡À4.5* 8.9¡À1.6 65.8¡À 4.3

M+IMC 5 37.9¡À6.2 53.8¡À4.7** 8.3¡À 6.8 62.1¡À 6.2

IMC 5 29.3¡À6.2 62.7¡À3.8 8.0¡À6.1 70.7¡À 6.2

——————————————————————————–

Table 2. The Changes of Lectin Receptors in Each Groups

——————————————————————————–

BSL CoA LCA RCA WGA

Group n

——————————————————————————–

£­ + + + £­ + + + £­ + + + £­ + + + £­ + + +

——————————————————————————–

TB 10 0 7 3 0 5 5 3 2 5 1 3 6 1 3 6

M 10 2 6 2 1 4 5 6 4 0c 2 5 3 1 7 2

M+IMC 10 5 3 2 5 4 1ab 7 3 0d 5 4 1ef 0 9 1

IMC 9 3 5 1 1 6 2 5 4 0 0 7 2 3 3 3

——————————————————————————–

Table 3. The Expression of C-erbB-2 and AgNORS

——————————————————————————–

Group n C-erbB-2

AgNORS

£­ + (granule/nuclear mean)

——————————————————————————–

TB 9 0 9 2.50¡À 0.70 (n=10)

M 10 2 8 2.60¡À 0.75(n=8)

M+IMC 10 5 5* 2.32¡À 0.59(n=9)#

IMC 9 2 7 3.04¡À 0.71(n=8)

——————————————————————————–

* Compared with group TB, P<0,05. # Compared with group IMC, P<0,05

Discussion

Animal experiment research indicated that there was a connection between the high expression of lectins receptors and hepatic carcinoma or metastasis of hepatic carcinoma. According to the result from test of HAC-bearing-mice’s 12lectins receptors, high positive expression was observed in 5 kinds of lectins receptors. The moxibustion had certain low regulation action on its positive expression. The statistically significant decrease in positive expression of 3 kinds of lectins receptors ConA, LCA, RCA among 5 lectins receptors was observed. It indicates moxibustion especially combination of moxibustion and IMC have certain influence on biological characteristics of tumor cells. Further investigation, including the expression of GerbB-2 oncogene, the counts of AgNORs and changes of tumor cell cycle, was observed that group M+IMC had lower expression of C-erbB-2 oncogene in comparison to control group, lower counts of AgNORs compared with group IMC, and the lowest percentage of phase S HAC-tumor cells C-erbB-2 plays an important role in the tumor cell’s process of development, proliferation and differentiation. It also has close relationship with the occurrence and development of tumor cells. Not only does it lead to malignant transformation but has positive correlation with malignant degree in many kinds of tumors. It has been proved that C-erbB-2oncogene had some correlation with the recurrence and metastasis of adenocarcinoma of breast and lung. The intranuclear transcription level, the number of ploidy and proliferation cycle could be observed through the technique of AgNORs. It would be helpful not only for the diagnosis of benign or malignant tumor, but also for the biological characteristics of tumor cells.

In sum, group moxibustion, especially group M+IMC, has certain antitumor effect, in that it could change the biological characters of tumor cell including speed of synthesis or proliferation, development, the degree of malignance, and other biological behaviors.

ScienceDaily (June 8, 2009) — A drug derived from the hydrangea root, used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise in treating autoimmune disorders, report researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children’s Hospital Boston (PCMM/IDI), along with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In the June 5 edition of Science, they show that a small-molecule compound known as halofuginone inhibits the development of Th17 cells, immune cells recently recognized as important players in autoimmune disease, without altering other kinds of T cells involved in normal immune function. They further demonstrate that halofuginone reduces disease pathology in a mouse model of autoimmunity.

Currently there is no good treatment for autoimmune disorders; the challenge has been suppressing inflammatory attacks by the immune system on body tissues without generally suppressing immune function (thereby increasing risk of infections). The main treatment is antibodies that neutralize cytokines, chemical messengers produced by T cells that regulate immune function and inflammatory responses. However, antibodies are expensive, must be given intravenously and don’t address the root cause of disease, simply sopping up cytokines rather than stopping their production; patients must therefore receive frequent intravenous infusions to keep inflammation in check. Powerful immune-suppressing drugs are sometimes used as a last resort, but patients are left at risk for life-threatening infections and other serious side effects.

Through a series of experiments, the researchers show that halofuginone prevents the development of Th17 cells in both mice and humans, halts the disease process they trigger, and is selective in its effects. It also has the potential to be taken orally. “This is really the first description of a small molecule that interferes with autoimmune pathology but is not a general immune suppressant,” says Mark Sundrud, PhD, of the PCMM/IDI, the study’s first author.

Recognized only since 2006, Th17 cells have been implicated in a variety of autoimmune disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, eczema and psoriasis. They are genetically distinct from the other major categories of T-cells (Th1, Th2 and T-regulatory cells).

Th17 cells normally differentiate from “naïve” CD4+ T cells, but when Sundrud and colleagues cultured mouse CD4+ T-cells along with cytokines that normally induce Th17 development, there was a pronounced decrease in Th17 cells – but not in Th1, Th2 or T regulatory cells – when halofuginone was added. Similarly, in cultured human CD4+ T-cells, halofuginone selectively suppressed production of IL-17, the principal cytokine made by Th17 cells.

And in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), an artificially-induced immune disease resembling multiple sclerosis in humans, and marked by infiltration of Th17 cells into the central nervous system, low-dose halofuginone treatment significantly reduced both the development of EAE and its severity. (In mice with another form of EAE that doesn’t involve Th17 cells, halofuginone had no effect.)

Wondering how halofuginone works, the researchers did microarray studies of the halofuginone-treated cells to examine patterns of gene expression in response to the drug. Unexpectedly, many genes involved in stress responses were turned on. Eventually, they found that halofuginone acts by activating a biochemical pathway known as the “amino acid starvation response,” or AAR, which typically protects cells when amino acids, essential building blocks of proteins, are in short supply. When excess amino acids were added to cultured T-cells exposed to halofuginone, the AAR didn’t switch on, and Th17 cells were able to develop. Conversely, the researchers were able to inhibit Th17 differentiation simply by depleting amino acids, thereby inducing the AAR.

Why would the AAR prevent Th17 cells from forming? The researchers propose that the AAR has an energy-saving function, slowing down a cell’s building activities to conserve amino acids. “When a cell senses amino acid deprivation, it tries to conserve amino acids by preventing specific types of responses that are energetically expensive,” says Sundrud. “In inflamed tissues, a lot of cells are producing a lot of protein, so it would make sense that a cell with amino acid deprivation would want to block signals that promote inflammation.”

Halofuginine is one of the 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine, and has been used as an antimalarial agent. Decades ago, the U.S. Army tried to improve upon its antimalarial properties, without success. It has been in clinical trials for scleroderma, but because it is now in the public domain, the pharmaceutical industry has not shown interest in further developing it therapeutically.

But halofuginone, or some yet-to-be developed derivative compound, could potentially be used to address any autoimmune or inflammatory disease related to Th17 cells by activating the AAR, the researchers say.

“Remarkably, halofuginone evokes the AAR in all cells but selectively inhibits T-cell inflammatory responses,” says Anjana Rao, PhD, of the PCMM/IDI, a senior investigator on the study. “This recalls the actions of cyclosporin A and FK506, two other immunosuppressive drugs that block the activity of calcineurin. Calcineurin is present in all cells, but selectively prevents the rejection of heart, lung, liver and bone marrow transplants when given to patients. These drugs revolutionized transplant medicine when they were introduced over 20 years ago, and halofuginone may herald a revolution in the treatment of certain types of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases.”

Malcolm Whitman, PhD and Tracy Keller, PhD, of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Anjana Rao, PhD, of the PCMM/IDI, were the study’s senior investigators. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Cancer Research Institute.

]]> http://www.tcmcentral.com/chinese-medicine-autoimmune-disease/feed/ 0 http://www.tcmcentral.com/acupuncture-point-diagrams/ http://www.tcmcentral.com/acupuncture-point-diagrams/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:48:40 +0000 admin http://www.tcmcentral.com/?p=1185

Acupuncture Points

Please click on the thumbnail pictures or text description in order to get a very large expandable image.

PLEASE NOTE – These point location diagrams are made available by the University of Technology, Sydney. They are reproduced with the permission of the authors of the ‘Point Location and Point Dynamics Manual’. The diagrams are copyright and not for resale or commercial use without the permission of the authors, Carole and Cameron Rogers. Students and researchers however are free to download and use this material to assist them with their academic tasks. –

Chinese traditional medical techniques, like acupuncture and Tai Chi, start to spread successfully in Pinar del Rio province, west Cuba, local media reported on Thursday.

Carlos Callaba, Coordinator of the Natural Medicine Program, said that these techniques are applied in the integral rehabilitation rooms, the health centers and hospitals in the province for the recovering of the patients.

The aim is to preserve or restitute health with the balance of the vital energy, a main concept of these kind of therapies, said Callaba.

Callaba said that the acupuncture is one of the varieties most used in Pinar del Rio due to its efficiency as anti-inflammation method, analgesic and relaxing.

Tai Chi is also among the therapeutic options to combat the stress and keep the organism on good physical and mental conditions.

“It is a martial art of balance preferred mainly by youngsters and elders,” Callab said.

The medical techniques developed in China arrived in Cuba during the 1980s.

Source:Xinhua

Acupuncture can help people with chronic low back pain feel less bothered by their symptoms and function better in their daily activities, according to the largest randomized trial of its kind, published in the May 11, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine. But the SPINE (Stimulating Points to Investigate Needling Efficacy) trial raises questions about how the ancient practice actually works.

Compared to the group that got usual care, results were similar for all three of the SPINE trial’s acupuncture groups: individualized, standardized, and simulated (without going through skin). Of the people who got any kind of acupuncture, an extra one in five were functioning significantly better at the end of the seven-week treatment – and an extra one in eight were still functioning better at one year.

“This study suggests that acupuncture is about as effective as other treatments for chronic back pain that have been found helpful,” said SPINE trial leader Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, a senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle. “But we found that simulated acupuncture, without penetrating the skin, produced as much benefit as needle acupuncture – and that raises questions about how acupuncture works.”

The SPINE trial included 638 adult patients at two nonprofit health plans: Group Health Cooperative in Seattle and Northern California Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. They all rated the “bothersomeness” of their chronic low back pain as at least a 3 on a 0-to-10 scale. None of them had received acupuncture before. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups:

• Individualized needle acupuncture, involving a customized prescription for acupuncture points from a diagnostician
• Standardized needle acupuncture, using a single prescription for acupuncture points on the back and backs of the legs, which experts consider generally effective for chronic low back pain
• Simulated acupuncture on those same standardized points, mimicking needle acupuncture but instead of a needle using a toothpick in a needle guide tube without penetrating the skin
• Usual care, which is the standard medical care they would have gotten anyway – and that all patients in all groups received

Everyone in the three acupuncture groups (individualized, standardized, or simulated) was treated twice a week for three weeks, and then weekly for four weeks. At eight weeks, half a year, and one year, researchers measured back-related dysfunction and how much symptoms bothered patients.

The SPINE team found that at eight weeks all three acupuncture groups were functioning substantially better, while the group getting only usual care was functioning only slightly better. Dysfunction scores improved significantly more for all three acupuncture groups than for the usual care group. These benefits lasted for a year, although they waned over time.

Notably, the outcomes for groups that received the needle and simulated forms of acupuncture did not differ significantly. So, although acupuncture effectively treated low back pain, that therapeutic benefit seemed to require neither tailoring acupuncture needle sites to an individual patient nor inserting needles into the skin.

“We don’t know precisely why people got back pain relief from the simulated acupuncture,” said Cherkin’s co-author Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH, a senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies. “Historically, some types of acupuncture have used non-penetrating needles. Such treatments may involve physiological effects that make a clinical difference.” Or it might be all about the mind-body connection, she said: “Maybe the context in which people get treatment has effects that are more important than the mechanically induced effects.”

Western medicine does not have highly effective medical treatments for chronic back pain, Cherkin said. Back pain is the number-one reason that Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including acupuncture.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the SPINE trial.

“The findings of this research show that acupuncture-like treatments, including simulated acupuncture, can elicit positive responses,” said Josephine P. Briggs, MD, director of NCCAM. “This adds to the growing body of evidence that something meaningful is taking place during acupuncture treatments outside of actual needling. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking these responses.”

Cherkin and Sherman’s SPINE trial co-authors were Richard A. Deyo, MD, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland; Partap S. Khalsa, DC, PhD, of NCCAM’s Division of Extramural Research; Andrew L. Avins, MD, MPH, Luisa Hamilton, MD, and Alice Pressman, MS, of Northern California Kaiser Permanente in Oakland; William E. Barlow, PhD of Cancer Research and Biostatistics and Group Health Center for Health Studies; and Laura Ichikawa, MS, Janet H. Erro, RN, MN, Kristin Delaney, MPH, and Rene Hawkes of Group Health Center for Health Studies.

Source:
Rebecca Hughes
Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies

Up to 80 percent of patients who have surgery complain of nausea and vomiting afterwards, but stimulating an acupoint in their wrists can help reduce these symptoms, finds a new evidence review.

Treatment for nausea and vomiting after surgery and anesthesia typically calls for the use of anti-nausea (antiemetic) medications. However, the cost and side effects of these medications have raised interest in finding more simple and noninvasive ways to prevent the symptoms. The aim of the systematic review was to determine whether stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point is an effective option.

The Pericardium (P6) point is in the wrist and its stimulation prevents nausea and vomiting, the researchers found.

The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of health care. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing trials on a topic.

Author Anna Lee of the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care at The Chinese University of Hong Kong led the current review. It is an update of a previous 2004 Cochrane review, which Lee also led.

Stimulating the P6 point can occur by several methods such as acupuncture or acupressure. Acupuncture involves penetrating the skin with thin, metallic needles at defined points. It is one of the main medical treatments in traditional Chinese medicine and began there more than 2,000 years ago. One type of acupressure involves wearing a wristband that presses down on the P6 point.

Lixing Lao, a licensed acupuncturist and director at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, described how the treatment works to prevent nausea.

“After a stimulation on the acupuncture point, the nerve system is then activated and signals the brain to release certain chemicals known as neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine or endorphins,” Lao said. “These then block the other chemicals that cause the sickness, nausea and vomiting, in this case, in the central nerve system. Therefore, the patient won’t feel that sick or nauseated.”

Lee and her colleague evaluated 40 studies comprising 4,858 patients. Most of the studies involved healthy adults undergoing elective surgery with general anesthesia. The studies all compared the stimulation of the P6 acupoint with sham (placebo) treatment or drug therapy with antiemetics for preventing nausea and vomiting after surgery.

The studies used 10 different methods of P6 stimulation, such as needle acupuncture, laser stimulation, transcutaneous (through the skin) nerve stimulation and acupressure wristbands. They used five different antiemetic drugs.

“Of the 40 trials included, the most common method of stimulation was wristband alone, in 17 studies,” Lee said. “The wristbands used to prevent both postoperative nausea and vomiting are the same sold for seasickness, travel sickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.”

The Cochrane reviewers found that compared to sham treatment, stimulation of the P6 acupoint can significantly reduce the risk of nausea and vomiting after surgery, with few side effects. Lee said that “for 100 people, of whom 80 would vomit or feel sick after surgery if given sham treatment, about 25 people would benefit from P6 stimulation and 75 would not.”

When compared to the use of antiemetic medications, however, the reviewers found no reliable evidence that showed any difference in whether acupoint stimulation is more effective in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. They concluded that it can be used as a “suitable alternative or addition to” the medications.

Lee concluded that reducing nausea and vomiting for surgery patients through P6 point stimulation could reduce costs, such as the cost of antiemetic medication and length of hospital stays, and improve the quality of patient care.

Lee said that in her homeland of Hong Kong, P6 stimulation methods are “not used widely, if at all.”

“Generally, physicians and patients are not aware of this type of treatment for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting,” she said. “Translating the evidence from this updated Cochrane review into clinical practice will take time.”

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international nonprofit, independent organization that produces and disseminates systematic reviews of health care interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions.

Lee A, Fan LTY. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point P6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2.

Source: Health Behavior News Service