Chinese Medicine for Angina Pectoris

Chinese Medicine for Angina Pectoris

Stable angina pectoris is experienced as trans-sternal or retro-sternal pressure or pain that may radiate to the left arm, neck or back. Although available evidence relating to its effectiveness and mechanism are weak, traditional Chinese medicine is used as an alternative therapy for stable angina pectoris.

We report a protocol of a randomized controlled trial using traditional Chinese medicine to investigate the effectiveness, mechanism and safety for patients with stable angina pectoris.

Methods: This is a north-east Chinese, multi-center, multi-blinded, placebo-controlled and superiority randomized trail. A total of 240 patients with stable angina pectoris will be randomly assigned to three groups: two treatment groups and a control group.

The treatment groups will receive Chinese herbal medicine consisting of Yi-Qi-Jian-Pi and Qu-Tan-Hua-Zhuo granule and Yi-Qi-Jian-Pi and Qu-Tan-Hua-Yu granule, respectively, and conventional medicine. The control group will receive placebo medicine in addition to conventional medicine.

All 3 groups will undergo a 12-week treatment and 2-week follow-up. Four visits in sum will be scheduled for each subject: 1 visit each in week 0, week 4, week 12 and week 14.

The primary outcomes include: the frequency of angina pectoris attack; the dosage of nitroglycerin; body limited dimension of Seattle Angina Questionnaire. The secondary outcomes include: except for the body limited dimension of SAQ, traditional Chinese medicine pattern questionnaire and so on.

Therapeutic mechanism outcomes, safety outcomes and endpoint outcomes will be also assessed. Discussion The primary aim of this trial is to develop a standard protocol to utilize high-quality EBM evidence for assessing the effectiveness and safety of SAP via TCM pattern differentiation as well as exploring the efficacy mechanism and regulation with the molecular biology and systems biology.

The source of this report is here.

Tai Chi Qigong for Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Tai Chi Qigong for Nasopharyngeal Cancer

PURPOSE:  Survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) often sustain cardiovascular complications after conventional cancer treatments. Tai Chi (TC) Qigong training may be a viable way to improve peripheral circulatory status and aerobic capacity in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-month TC Qigong training program on blood flow velocities and resistance, palmar skin temperature, and functional aerobic capacity in survivors of NPC. METHODS:  Twenty-five and 27 survivors of NPC volunteered to join the intervention group (mean age, 55.4 ± 7.5 years) and control group (mean age, 58.7 ± 9.5 years), respectively. The intervention group underwent a TC Qigong training program-the modified 18 Forms TC Internal Qigong-for 6 months, while the control group received no training. Peripheral arterial blood flow velocities and resistance, palmar skin temperature, and functional aerobic capacity were measured by a Doppler ultrasound machine, an infrared thermometer, and six-minute walk test, respectively. All outcomes were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention (3-month), post-intervention (6-month), and follow-up (12-month) periods. RESULTS:  The TC Qigong group had higher diastolic blood flow velocity (p = 0.010), lower arterial blood flow resistance (p = 0.009), and higher palmar skin temperature (p = 0.004) than the control group after TC Qigong training. However, only the diastolic blood flow velocity was higher in the TC Qigong group than in the control group during the no-training follow-up period (p = 0.032). Additionally, an improvement in functional aerobic capacity was found in the intervention group after TC Qigong training (p < 0.008) but not in the control group over time (p > 0.008). CONCLUSIONS:  TC Qigong training may improve peripheral circulatory status and functional aerobic capacity among people treated for NPC. However, this is only a pilot study and future definitive trials are needed to confirm the results. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS:  TC Qigong may have enormous potential as a rehabilitation intervention for survivors of NPC to improve arterial hemodynamics and functional aerobic capacity.

Source: Fong SS, Ng SS, Luk WS, Chung JW, Leung JC, Masters RS. Effects of a 6-month Tai Chi Qigong program on arterial hemodynamics and functional aerobic capacity in survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer. J Cancer Surviv. 2014 Jun 8.

Understand the Hierarchy of Chinese Herbal Formula

Jun Chen Zuo Shi in Qi Shen Yi Qi Formula

BACKGROUND:

The role of "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" (also known as "sovereign-minister-assistant-courier") component herbs of Chinese medicine is not fully understood. This study aims to test the "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" rule with the QiShenYiQi formula (QSYQ) on treating acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) by a network pharmacology approach.

METHODS:

An Acute Myocardial Ischemia (AMI) specific Organism Disturbed Network (AMI-ODN), was constructed by integrating data of disease-associated genes, protein-protein interaction and microarray experiments. A network-based index, Network Recovery Index for Organism Disturbed Network (NRI-ODN), was developed to measure the therapeutic efficacy of QSYQ and its ingredients, i.e., the ability to recover disturbed AMI network model back to normal state.

RESULTS:

The whole formula of QSYQ got a NRI-ODN score of 864.48, which outperformed all individual herbs. Additionally, the primary component herbs, Radix Astragalus membranaceus and Radix Salvia miltiorrrhiza showed NRI-DON score of 680.27 and 734.31 respectively, which meant a better performance to recover disturbed AMI network than the supplementary component herbs, Panax notoginseng and Dalbergia sissoo did (545.76 and 584.88, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

AMI-ODN model and NRI-ODN identified the possible roles of "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" component herbs of QSYQ in treating AMI at molecular network and pathway level.

Source: Wu L, Wang Y, Li Z, Zhang B, Cheng Y, Fan X. Identifying roles of "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" component herbs of QiShenYiQi formula in treating acute myocardial ischemia by network pharmacology. Chin Med. 2014 Sep 16;9:24.

A State where all healing arts professions can practice acupuncture except the true Acupuncturist

Evolution of Acupuncture in Alabama

A New Book by Dr. John Stump

This book is written for those people interested in the history, philosophy and techniques of the healing art of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. It is a story of the ancient profession as it moves from its birth place in the Far East and migrates to the West. After reaching America, the relentless struggle in the medico-political atmosphere to survive and grown to help the pain of America.
This book is presented from the focus of Dr. John Stump, a Chiropractor that went to Japan, China and Korea to secure his acupuncture education 40 years ago because there was no schools of higher education in America at that time. He returns to America to find a profession under siege in our medical climate.
Dr. Stump and his contributing authors of a practicing Acupuncturist, Medical Doctor, University Professor and an outstanding medical editor, all closely involved with acupuncture and its effort toward safety, economic and political recognition in Alabama. A State where all healing arts professions can practice acupuncture except the true Acupuncturist.
The authors tell the story of how the most of States in the United States now recognize and promote the benefits of the ancient healing art of acupuncture and how the economic impact could help the citizens of Alabama.
It is toward the objective of health safety and education that this book has been compiled. The authors show the safety, economic and political benefit in the establishment of proper rules and regulations of the professional practice of the Acupuncturist without any infringement on any other profession in the state.
After reading this account of a struggle against time, political, economic blocks and professional expertise you too will want to join the push toward legislative recognition of a time honored profession in Alabama.

Acupuncture for Weight Loss and Erectile Dysfunction

Electro Acupuncture for weight loss and erectile dysfunction

This news is based on a research.

To compare the effects of weight control on simple obese women between electroacupuncture and sit -up exercise, the measurements of body weight, BMI and WC were performed.

More than 50% of Americans are overweight, with 20% classified as obese.  In the UK, the overweight and obese populations increased  by almost 15% from 1990 to 1992.  Furthermore, the incidence and prevalence of obesity are increasing worldwide, especially in the developing and newly industrialized nations.  Obesity is related to diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease, which are major diseases in Taiwan and other developing countries.  Obesity is becoming a global epidemic and common health problem.  Obesity is definied as BMI>30 kg/m2 , which necessitates weight control treatment.

To read more, click here.

Urban Acupuncture Changes City Landscapes

On Twitter, cartography and “Urban Acupuncture”

A different sort of design guru stops by SPUR that afternoon: Jaime Lerner, the former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, and an instigator of such urbane innovations as bus rapid transit long before such notions caught hold. He’s the author of a new book “Urban Acupuncture: Celebrating Pinpricks of Change that Enrich City Life,” and it’s one of the most beguiling approaches to the messy topic of a metropolis that I’ve seen.

To read more, click  here.