Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture for Chronic Sciatica From Herniated Disk: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Sciatica is commonly caused by herniated lumbar disc and contributes to severe pain and prolonged disability. Although acupuncture is widely used by patients with chronic sciatica, the evidence of its efficacy is scarce.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture in patients with chronic sciatica from herniated disk.

[Application of "patient and public involvement" in acupuncture clinical research].

In order to explore the application of "patient and public involvement" (PPI) in acupuncture clinical research, the connotation, reporting standards and research status of PPI at home and abroad are collated, and the key problems of PPI encountered in acupuncture clinical research are deeply considered and summarized. It is suggested that the short-form checklist of (GRIPP) of the 2nd edition should be applied to acupuncture clinical research. PPI provides a new perspective for acupuncture clinical research.

Is acupuncture effective for knee osteoarthritis? A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the leading causes of disability. The effectiveness of acupuncture for treating KOA remains controversial. This protocol describes the method of a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for treating KOA.

Acupuncture for the treatment of diarrheal-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal diseases. Although acupuncture has become a common alternative therapy for IBS, there is insufficient evidence for its effectiveness. This study was designed to assess the efficacy and feasibility of acupuncture in the treatment of IBS.

Electroacupuncture ameliorates intestinal inflammation by activating α7nAChR-mediated JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in postoperative ileus.

Inflammatory cytokines produced by muscularis macrophages largely contribute to the pathological signs of postoperative ileus (POI). Electroacupuncture (EA) can suppress inflammation, mainly or partly via activation of vagal efferent. The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which EA stimulation at an hindlimb region ameliorates inflammation in POI.

Acupuncture for Psychological Disorders Caused by Chronic Pain: A Review and Future Directions.

Accumulating evidence supports an association between chronic pain and psychological disorders, a connection that seems to be bidirectional. Treating both the pain and psychological conditions together is essential for effective treatment outcomes. Acupuncture is a somatosensory-guided mind-body therapy that can tackle the multidimensional nature of pain with fewer or no serious adverse effects.

The Management of Sciatica by Acupuncture: An Expert Consensus Using the Improved Delphi Survey.

Objective: Acupuncture therapy is an effective non-drug therapy for sciatica, but it has not yet formed an effective treatment strategy and recommendations. Our objective was to establish an expert consensus on acupuncture treatment of sciatica for clinical guidance based on the improved Delphi survey.

Methods: A group of 80 clinical specialists was invited to participate in two rounds of semi-open clinical issue investigation.

Efficacy of acupuncture for sciatica: study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Background: Acupuncture is widely used for pain diseases while evidence of its efficacy for sciatica is insufficient. We aim to explore the feasibility and efficacy of acupuncture with different acupoint selecting strategies for sciatica induced by lumbar disc herniation.

Methods: This is a multicenter, three-arm, patient-assessor-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial.

Acupuncture for persistent atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia, which is closely related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although acupuncture is used in the treatment of AF, the evidence is insufficient. The objective of this pilot trial is to evaluate the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and safety of acupuncture in reducing AF burden for persistent AF after catheter ablation (CA).

[Study on the mechanism of Ca2+-buffering by sodium glycodeoxycholate micelles].

In the present article, NaGDC was used to study the Ca(2+)-buffering capability of bile salt micelles. NaGDC is a naturally occurring bile salt which constitutes approximately 10 molar percent of bile salt composition in gallbladder. The authors selected glycine conjugated bile salts NaGDC because it precipitates with Ca2+ ions fast.