Acupuncture for PSA 2024

Inspired by Li et al 2024.[1] This is the first question of the Western aphasia battery...My point is that you cannot do mechanistic laboratory studies on PSA in rodents.Photo by Kanashi on Unsplash. PSA – post-stroke aphasiaPSA – prostatic specific antigen (not the subject of this blog)EA – electroacupuncturePSD – post-stroke dysphagia (the subject of … Continue reading Acupuncture for PSA 2024

EA vs metformin for IR in PCOS 2024

Inspired by Cao et al 2023.[1] With thanks to Deniah for the image. EA – electroacupunctureIR – insulin resistancePCOS – polycystic ovary syndromeBMI – body mass indexHOMA-IR – homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistanceAUC – area under curve key to acronyms I have a blog category for PCOS, but the last post on the topic … Continue reading EA vs metformin for IR in PCOS 2024

Does sham point location matter 2

Stimulated by Lee et al 2023.[1] SR – systematic reviewNMA – network meta-analysisKIOM – Korean Institute of Oriental MedicineSATS – sham acupuncture therapy sham pointSATV – sham acupuncture therapy verum pointIPDM – individual patient data meta-analysisEBM – evidence based medicineSMD – standardised mean differenceCI – confidence interval key to acronyms I guess it was inevitable … Continue reading Does sham point location matter 2

Acupuncture for CSU

Stimulated by Zheng et al 2023.[1] Visual abstract from the publication by Zheng et al in Annals.[1] CSU – chronic spontaneous urticariaEiC – editor in chiefMCID – minimal clinically important differenceUAS7 – urticaria activity score (weekly sum of daily measures of itch and wheal severity)CI – confidence interval key to acronyms This is the first … Continue reading Acupuncture for CSU

Acupuncture for perimenopausal GAD

Stimulated by Liu et al 2023.[1] Photo by Finn on Unsplash. GAD – generalised anxiety disorderHAMA – Hamilton anxiety scaleGAD-7 – general anxiety disorder scale (7-item)PSQI – Pittsburgh sleep quality indexACTH – adrenocorticotropic hormoneEA – electroacupunctureCTS – carpal tunnel syndrome key to acronyms This paper reports the first sham controlled trial of acupuncture in perimenopausal … Continue reading Acupuncture for perimenopausal GAD

Does sham point location matter?

Stimulated by Lee et al 2023.[1] APs – acupuncture pointsKIOM – Korean Institute of Oriental MedicineNMA – network meta-analysisIF – impact factorEBM – evidence based medicineSATV – sham acupuncture therapy verum pointAT – acupuncture therapySATS – sham acupuncture therapy sham pointVAS – visual analogue scaleRMDQ – Roland-Morris Disability QuestionnaireNRS – numerical rating scale key to acronyms … Continue reading Does sham point location matter?

MSAT for MSK pain

Stimulated by a trip to Jaseng, Seoul, for their 4th annual academic conference, and a paper from the founder of Jaseng, published in Pain 10 years ago, Shin et al 2013.[1] MSAT – motion style acupuncture treatmentMSK – musculoskeletalcLBP – chronic low back painUS – ultrasoundTP – transverse processCAT – conventional acupuncture treatmentRCT – randomised … Continue reading MSAT for MSK pain

EA for NVP 2023

Stimulated by Wu et al 2023.[1] EA – electroacupunctureNVP – nausea and vomiting of pregnancyPCOS – polycystic ovarian syndromeLisa SV – Professor Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Karolinska InstitutetPUQE – pregnancy unique quantification of emesisIF – impact factorGWAS – genome wide association studyhCG – human chorionic gonadotrophinGDF15 – growth/differentiation factor 15 key to acronyms This is the largest … Continue reading EA for NVP 2023

Acupuncture in ICH 2023

Stimulated by Li et al 2023.[1] BDNF - Microswitch at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. ICH – intracerebral haemorrhageRCT – randomised controlled trialEA – electroacupunctureSAH – subarachnoid haemorrhagemRS – modified Rankin Scale (a 0 to 6 scale measuring disability)GCS – Glasgow coma scale (measures conscious level up to a maximum of … Continue reading Acupuncture in ICH 2023

Acupuncture for endometriosis pain 2023

Stimulated by Li et al 2023.[1] Figure 2 from Li et al 2023.[1] RCT – randomised controlled trialVAS – visual analogue score key to acronyms This is the second moderately large (n=106) controlled trial of acupuncture in endometriosis. It is a sham controlled trial. The first was a similarly sized (n=101) cross-over trial using acupuncture … Continue reading Acupuncture for endometriosis pain 2023