RECENT RESEARCH leg fatigue and dyspnea , and whether they mediated improvements in walk distance , were analyzed .
Results : Linear regression analysis showed that the unstandardized regression coefficients [ 95 % confidence interval ( CI )] for the intervention effect by acupuncture were -4.9 ( -5.8 – -4.0 ) in leg fatigue and -3.6 ( -4.3 – -2.9 ) in dyspnea . Mediation analysis showed that when changes in leg fatigue were considered as a mediator , direct effect , indirect effect and proportion mediated were 47.1 m ( 95 % CI , 4.6 – 85.1 ), 34.3 m ( -2.1 – 82.1 ), and 42.1 %, respectively , and when changes in dyspnea were considered as a mediator , they were 9.8 m ( -32.9 – 49.9 ), 72.5 m ( 31.3 – 121.0 ), and 88.1 %, respectively , and the effects of joint mediator were -5.8 m ( -55.4 – 43.9 ), 88.9 m ( 32.7 – 148.5 ), and 107.0 %, respectively .
Conclusion : The improvement in exercise capacity by acupuncture is explained by changes in both leg fatigue and dyspnea .
Yang YC , Wei XY , Zhang YY . et al . Modulation of temporal and occipital cortex by acupuncture in non-menstrual MWoA patients : a rest BOLD fMRI study . BMC Complement Med Ther . 2024 ; 24 , 43 . https :// doi . org / 10.1186 / s12906-024-04349-w
Objective : To investigate the changes in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation ( ALFF ) and degree centrality ( DC ) values before and after acupuncture in young women with non-menstrual migraine without aura ( MWoA ) through rest blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging ( BOLD fMRI ).
Methods : Patients with non-menstrual MWoA ( Group 1 , n = 50 ) and healthy controls ( Group 2 , n = 50 ) were recruited . fMRI was performed in Group 1 at 2 time points : before acupuncture ( time point 1 , TP1 ); and after the end of all acupuncture sessions ( time point 2 , TP2 ), and performed in Group 2 as a one-time scan . Patients in Group 1 were assessed with the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire ( MIDAS ) and the Short- Form McGill Pain Questionnaire ( SF- MPQ ) at TP1 and TP2 after fMRI was performed . The ALFF and DC values were compared within Group 1 at two time points and between Group 1 and Group2 . The correlation between ALFF and DC values with the statistical differences and the clinical scales scores were analyzed .
Results : Brain activities increased in the left fusiform gyrus and right angular gyrus , left middle occipital gyrus , and bilateral prefrontal cortex and decreased in left inferior parietal lobule in Group 1 , which had different ALFF values compared with Group 2 at TP1 . The bilateral fusiform gyrus , bilateral inferior temporal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus increased and right angular gyrus , right superior marginal gyrus , right inferior parietal lobule , right middle occipital gyrus , right superior frontal gyrus , right middle frontal gyrus , right anterior central gyrus , and right supplementary motor area decreased in activity in Group 1 had different DC values compared with Group 2 at TP1 . ALFF and DC values of right inferior temporal gyrus , right fusiform gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus were decreased in Group1 at TP1 compared with TP2 . ALFF values in the left middle occipital area were positively correlated with the pain degree at TP1 in Group1 ( correlation coefficient r , r = 0.827 , r = 0.343 ; P < 0.01 , P = 0.015 ). The DC values of the right inferior temporal area were positively correlated with the pain degree at TP1 in Group 1 ( r = 0.371 ; P = 0.008 ).
Conclusion : Spontaneous brain activity and network changes in young women with non-menstrual MwoA were altered by acupuncture . The right temporal area may be an important target for acupuncture modulated brain function in young women with non-menstrual MwoA .
Chmielewska , D ., Malá , J ., Opala-Berdzik , A . et al . Acupuncture and dry needling for physical therapy of scar : a systematic review . BMC Complement Med Ther . 2024 ; 24 , 14 . https :// doi . org / 10.1186 / s12906-023-04301-4
Background : There is a continuing interest in finding effective methods for scar treatment . Dry needling is gaining popularity in physiotherapy and is defined by Western medicine as a type of acupuncture . The terms acupuncture and dry needling have been used interchangeably so we have focused on the efficacy of dry needling or acupuncture in scar treatment .
Objective : The aim of this systematic review was to determine the usefulness of dry needling or local acupuncture for scar treatment . In our search process , we used the terms ‘ acupuncture ,’ ‘ needling ,’ or ‘ dry needling ’ to identify all relevant scientific papers . We have focused on the practical aspects of local management of different scar types with dry needling or acupuncture .
Search strategy : The search strategy included different combinations of the following keywords : ‘ scar ’, ‘ keloid ’, ‘ dry needling ’, ‘ needling ’, ‘ acupuncture ’, ‘ treatment ’, ‘ physical therapy ’. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines . MEDLINE ( PubMed , EBSCOHost and Ovid ), EMBASE ( Elsevier ), and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant publications from inception through October 2023 .
Inclusion criteria : The studies that investigated the effectiveness of dry needling or acupuncture for scar treatment were included .
Data extraction and analysis : The main extraction data items were : the needling technique ; needle : diameter , length ; needling locations ; manual needling manipulation ; number of sessions ; settings ; outcomes and results .
Results : As a result of a comprehensive search , 11 manuscripts were included in the systematic review , of which eight were case reports , two were randomized trials and one study concerned case series . Two case reports scored 2 – 4 out of 8 points on the JBI checklist , five studies scored 5 – 7 , and one study scored 8 points . The methodological quality of the two clinical trials was rated as good or fair on the PEDro scale . The case series study scored 7 of 10 points on the JBI checklist . A meta-analysis was not possible as only two randomized trials , eight case reports , and
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