Chronic stable angina and point specificity

Stimulated by Zhao et al 2019.[1] Photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash. This paper was published online earlier this week but appeared on my PubMed search this morning. I was planning to write about hemifacial spasm today, highlighting quite a big (n=539) neurosurgical review of MVD (microvascular decompression) from China,[2] but this paper on electroacupuncture … Continue reading Chronic stable angina and point specificity

Parameters of dose for acupuncture

Stimulated by Sun et al 2019.[1] Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash. Ever since I started reading sham controlled acupuncture trials in the early 90โ€™s I have focussed most on the adequacy of the treatment (probably in a self-referential way) compared with the stimulus strength in the sham. I saw Jorge Vasโ€™s trial in OA knee published in … Continue reading Parameters of dose for acupuncture

Side-effects of cancer treatment โ€“ Brazil 2019

Stimulated by Paim et al and Dโ€™Allessandro et al 2019.[1,2] Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash. I selected these trials that were published online on consecutive days last week whilst I was attending a conference in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was only after selecting them that I noticed that both trials were conducted in Brazil. … Continue reading Side-effects of cancer treatment โ€“ Brazil 2019

NREs and TTIs in the Netherlands

Stimulated by Prinsze et al 2019.[1] Photo byย Cassi Joshย onย Unsplash. New acronyms are guaranteed to get me guessing, but these two were a challenge. They roll off the tongue pretty well as acronyms, but I had to check both! NREs are needle-related events, so that is relevant to the blog, and TTIs are transfusion-transmissible infections ie … Continue reading NREs and TTIs in the Netherlands

Strong EA & CPM in OAK

Stimulated by Lv et al 2019.[1] My eldest two cherubs demonstrating examination of the knee ;-)One is now an actor - guess which one! The paper that I am highlighting in this piece has two relatively novel features. First, and most interesting is the testing of two different doses of active EA (electroacupuncture) in a … Continue reading Strong EA & CPM in OAK

EA for frozen shoulder

Stimulated by Lo et al 2019.[1] Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash. This paper caught my eye because I advocate the use of electroacupuncture (EA) in frozen shoulder, but I find it hard to know whether or not I am doing any good. There is little or no controlled trial data in this specific condition, whilst there is … Continue reading EA for frozen shoulder

Piriformis revisited

In regret triggered by the title of Probst et al 2019.[1] This diagram illustrates the anatomical location of piriformis relative to the pelvis, and the characteristic pain referral patterns that form part of the myofascial syndrome. The blue dots on the leg represent tingling that might occur if there is nerve entrapment in piriformis syndrome. … Continue reading Piriformis revisited