Effectiveness of Interstitial Laser Acupuncture Depends upon Dosage: Experimental Results from Electrocardiographic and Electrocorticographic Recordings

Advances in acupuncture regulation on the autonomic nervous system from 2013 to 2022: A bibliometric analysis via citespace

OBJECTIVE

To understand research advances and frontiers of acupuncture regulation on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) over the past decade through a bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

Publications related to acupuncture regulation on the ANS were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace software was used to analyze the datasets and generate knowledge maps.

RESULTS

A total of 445 relevant publications published between 2013 and 2022 were included in this bibliometric analysis. The number of annual publications fluctuated from 2013 to 2016 but increased gradually from 2016 to 2022. China produced the highest number of publications, while the USA established the most extensive cooperation relationships. China Academy of Chinese Medical Science was the most productive institution. Chen Jiande D.Z. was the most prolific author and Rong Peijing holds the most extensive cooperation network. Han Jisheng was the most co-cited author. Relevant research involved mechanism exploration and clinical efficacy research, and "anti-inflammatory effect" was the most active research topic, especially cholinergic anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The most cited references mainly focused on inflammation. Gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disorders were the most active medical conditions studied in this field.

CONCLUSIONS

Research related to acupuncture regulation on the ANS mainly focused on anti-inflammation, and regulating gastrointestinal and cardiovascular function over the past decade. However, the mechanisms of the autonomic effects of acupuncture need further investigation. High-quality clinical studies are required to determine the optimal parameters of acupuncture for clinical application.

Head-to-Head Comparison of Electroacupuncture and Laser Acupuncture Effects on Autonomic Regulation and Clinical Effects in Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial

Introduction: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been applied in dysmenorrhea and has shown good efficacy. The mechanisms of EA are associated with autonomic nervous system adjustments and neuroendocrine regulation. Laser acupuncture (LA), however, has been widely investigated for its noninvasiveness. However, it remains uncertain whether LA is as effective as EA. This study aimed to compare EA and LA head to head in dysmenorrhea. Methods: A crossover, randomized clinical trial was conducted. EA or LA was applied to selected acupuncture points. Participants were randomized into two sequence treatment groups who received either EA or LA twice per week in luteal phase for 3 months followed by 2-month washout, then shifted to other groups (sequence 1: EA > LA; sequence 2: LA > EA). Outcome measures were heart rate variability (HRV), prostaglandins (PGs), pain, and quality-of-life (QoL) assessment (QoL-SF12). We also compared the effect of EA and LA in low and high LF/HF (low frequency/high frequency) status. Results: Totally, 43 participants completed all treatments. Both EA and LA significantly improved HRV activity and were effective in reducing pain (Visual Analog Scale [VAS]; EA: p < 0.001 and LA: p = 0.010) and improving QoL (SF12: EA: p < 0.001, LA, p = 0.017); although without intergroup difference. EA reduced PGs significantly (p < 0.001; δ p = 0.068). In low LF/HF, EA had stronger effects than LA in increasing parasympathetic tone in respect of percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50; p = 0.053) and very low-frequency band (VLF; p = 0.035). Conclusion: There is no significant difference between EA and LA in improving autonomic nervous system dysfunction, pain, and QoL in dysmenorrhea. EA is prominent in PGs changing and preserving vagus tone in low LF/HF; yet LA is noninvasive for those who have needle phobia. Whether LA is equivalent with EA and the mechanism warrants further study. Clinical trial identification number: NCT04178226.

Effect of laser acupuncture on pain and density of bone in osteoporotic postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the value of laser acupuncture (LA) on forearm bone mineral density (BMD) and wrist pain in osteoporotic postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Sixty-eight postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis were randomly allocated equally to one of two sets. The drug-only group received calcium and vitamin D 3 supplement containing fluoride daily for 12 weeks, whereas the drug/LA group received LA therapy for 20 minutes per session, three sessions weekly, in addition to the same supplementation. The primary outcome parameter was assessment of BMD of the nondominant arm. Other outcomes included wrist pain.

RESULTS

There was a highly significant improvement in the T-score of forearm BMD in both groups (-2.844 ± 0.476 to -2.597 ± 0.478 and -2.944 ± 0.486 to -1.652 ± 0.728 in the drug-only and drug/LA groups, respectively; P < 0.0001) and visual analog scale score (7.50 ± 0.79 to 4.24 ± 1.07 and 7.24 ± 0.82 to 3.09 ± 0.75 in the drug-only and drug/LA group, respectively; P < 0.0001). The improvement of both BMD and pain score was significantly higher in the drug/LA group (-1.303 and 4.15) compared with the drug-only group (-0.247 and 3.26; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

LA in combination with calcium and vitamin D supplementation containing fluoride is an effective modality in improving forearm BMD and reducing pain in osteoporotic postmenopausal women.

The Application of Laser Acupuncture in Animal Experiments: A Narrative Review of Biological Aspects

Experimental studies on animals are conducted in almost all areas of medical research. The experiments offer insights into diseases and expand biomedical knowledge. Animal experiments are also imperative for studying acupuncture treatment mechanisms and the exploration of innovative acupuncture techniques. Laser acupuncture (LA), as a promising alternative to traditional manual acupuncture (MA), has the characteristics of painless and controllable stimulation. Today, society is more aware of animal welfare than previous generations. The use of noninvasive LA as a substitute for invasive MA in basic experimental research of acupuncture should be encouraged. Thus, we conducted an overview of animal experiments in the research field of LA from January 1978 to April 2020. After careful research, 52 studies were included in the work. Among these studies, both single-point and multipoint LA studies have been reported. To make noninvasive LA better in replacing invasive MA in experimental animal research of acupuncture, further experiments should focus on exploring uniform criteria for selecting laser parameters and revealing the extent to which the curative effect of LA depends on the property of acupuncture points rather than the characteristics of photobiomodulation.

Laser Acupuncture for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Single-Blinded Controlled Study

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of laser acupuncture (LA) treatment with that of placebo LA treatment in patients with idiopathic, mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), as measured by subjective symptom assessments and objective changes in nerve conduction studies (NCSs). Design: A randomized, single-blinded, controlled study. Settings: A Teaching Hospital in the Taichung, Taiwan between March 2013 and November 2013. Subjects: 84 consecutive treatment-naive patients with CTS. Interventions: Participants were randomly divided into two treatment arms: (1) LA, administered at traditional Chinese acu-points on the affected side, once a day, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks (N = 43); and (2) placebo LA, administered using the same device and protocol, with the LA device switched off (N = 41). Outcome measures: Patients completed the Global symptom score (GSS) at baseline and two and four weeks later. The primary outcome was changes in GSS. NCSs were performed at baseline and repeated at the end of the study as a secondary outcome. Results: There was a significantly greater reduction in GSS in the LA group than in the placebo group at week 2 (-9.30 ± 4.94 vs. -2.29 ± 4.27, respectively, P < 0.01) and at week 4 (-10.67 ± 5.98 vs. -2.90 ± 5.61, respectively, P < 0.01). However, NCSs did not show significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: LA may be more effective than placebo LA in the treatment of mild-to-moderate idiopathic CTS in terms of subjective measurement. For patients who fear needle-based treatment, such as acupuncture or local injections, or those who do not opt for early surgical decompression, LA treatment can be considered as an effective and alternative form of acu-points stimulation therapy.

Effect of Laser Acupuncture on Anthropometric Measurements and Appetite Sensations in Obese Subjects

Purpose. A patient-assessor-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled crossover trial was performed to investigate the effectiveness of laser acupuncture on anthropometric measurements and appetite sensation in obese subjects. Methods. Fifty-two obese subjects were randomly assigned to either the laser acupuncture group or the sham laser acupuncture group. Subjects within each group received the relevant treatment three times a week for 8 weeks. After a two-week washout period, the subjects then received the treatment of the opposite group for another 8 weeks. BMI, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference, hip circumference, and appetite sensations were measured before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Results. BMI, body fat percentage, WHR, waist circumference, and hip circumference decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the laser acupuncture group compared to baseline but there was no decrease in those variables in the sham laser acupuncture group. Laser acupuncture significantly improved scores on the fullness, hunger, satiety, desire to eat, and overall well-being relative to the baseline (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Laser acupuncture is well tolerated and improves anthropometric measurements and appetite sensations in obese subjects.

Laser acupuncture before heel lancing for pain management in healthy term newborns: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Healthy term newborns commonly undergo painful procedures during routine follow-up visits. Non-pharmacological strategies have currently become more important than pharmacological analgesic agents in neonatal pain management. Acupuncture is a new non-pharmacological method for preventing pain in newborns.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the effect of laser acupuncture (LA) at the Yintang point before heel lancing as a non-pharmacological intervention for procedural pain management in infants.

METHODS

Forty-two term newborns, who were undergoing heel lancing between postnatal days 3 to 8 as part of routine neonatal screening, were randomly assigned to the LA group or the oral sucrose group. In the LA group, 2 min before the heel lancing, 0.3 J of energy was applied to the Yintang point using a Laser PREMIO-30 unit for 30 s. In the sucrose group, each infant received 0.5 mL of 24% sucrose orally via syringe 2 min before the heel lancing. Each baby's behaviour was scored using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), assessed blinded to group.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the LA and oral sucrose groups with respect to means for gestational week of age at birth, birth weight, actual weight, or Apgar score. Mean procedure time was significantly shorter in the LA group; however, mean crying time was longer and NIPS score was lower compared to the oral sucrose group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that 0.3 J of LA at the Yintang point before heel lancing is less effective than oral sucrose for reducing the discomfort of this procedure.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

KA14/09.

Effect of laser acupuncture on obesity: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Obesity-related diseases have a profound economic impact on health care systems. Laser acupuncture has been shown to have beneficial effects on obesity. However, to our knowledge, those trials were either non-randomized, non-blinded or included low-calorie diet control. We have, therefore, designed a patient-assessor-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled crossover trial to investigate the significance of laser acupuncture on obesity.

METHODS/DESIGN

104 subjects above 20 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 kg/m(2) will be divided into 2 groups: experimental and control. Each subject will receive the treatment relevant to their group 3 times a week for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of treatment the subject will enter a 2-week washout period, after which the subjects will switch groups. Measurements will include BMI, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference, hip circumference, skinfold thickness, thigh circumference, body fat, blood pressure, heart rate, hunger and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).

DISCUSSION

The results of this study will provide the basis for future large-scale multicenter trials investigating the effects of laser acupuncture on obesity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02167308 ; registration date: 14 June 2014.