Clinical effectiveness of trigger point acupuncture on chronic neck and shoulder pain (katakori) with work productivity loss in office workers: a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: To evaluate whether trigger point acupuncture (TrPA) is beneficial for office workers who have reduced job performance (presenteeism) due to chronic neck and shoulder pain (katakori).

Methods: A 4-week single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted on 20 eligible female office workers with chronic neck and shoulder pain of at least 3-month duration. The control group implemented only workplace-recommended presenteeism measures, whereas the intervention group received TrPA up to 4 times per month in addition to the presenteeism measures recommended by each workplace.

Health status of university football athletes through multidimensional screening.

Objective: Adequate conditioning results from various physical, environmental, and psychological factors in sports activities. In this study, we aimed to clarify the concurrence and relevance of injuries, psychological problems, and sleep disturbance in university football (soccer) players. Biomechanical characteristics and risk factors for those injuries were also investigated.

Effects of Acupuncture Therapy on Drug-Resistant Fibromyalgia: An Exploratory Single-Arm Nonrandomized Trial.

Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that causes symptoms such as pain. In Japan, although pregabalin and duloxetine are the drugs of choice for fibromyalgia, they may be ineffective or may cause side-effects. Studies have reported on the efficacy of acupuncture against fibromyalgia.

Trigger Point Acupuncture and Exercise for Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adult: a Preliminary Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Exercise therapy is the first choice non-pharmacotherapeutic approach for musculoskeletal pain; however, it often interferes with the implementation and continuation of exercise due to fear-avoidance behaviors. Trigger point acupuncture (TrPAcp) has been reported to reduce musculoskeletal pain.

Objectives: To examine the efficacy of exercise combined with TrPAcp compared to exercise alone for older patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), the most common subjective symptom reported by old people of both sexes in Japan.

Managing office worker presenteeism by providing financial aid for acupuncture therapy: a pragmatic multicenter randomized comparative study.

To evaluate whether financial aid for acupuncture therapy is beneficial for non-manufacturing job workers (office workers) who are aware of reduced job performance due to health issues (presenteeism), a four-wk pragmatic multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted with office workers who were aware of their presenteeism. The control group only implemented the workplace-recommended presenteeism measures, whereas the intervention group received financial aid for acupuncture therapy of up to 8,000 JPY (Japanese yen) in addition to implementing the presenteeism measures recommended by each workplace. The major outcome measure was the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire relative presenteeism score.

Acupuncture Relaxation, Vigilance Stage, and Autonomic Nervous System Function: A Comparative Study of Their Interrelationships.

During acupuncture stimulation, autonomic nervous system (ANS) function changes toward being parasympathetic-dominant, with a transient decrease in heart rate (HR). The aim of this research was to determine the relationships between cortical relaxation and vigilance as observed on background electroencephalograms (EEGs), HR, and ANS function during deep acupuncture. This comparative study was conducted at Teikyo Heisei University, in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan, with 27 healthy male volunteers.

Effects of Acupuncture Sensations on Transient Heart Rate Reduction and Autonomic Nervous System Function During Acupuncture Stimulation.

During acupuncture stimulation, heart rate (HR) transiently decreases and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function becomes parasympathetic-dominant. To clarify the effect of acupuncture sensations (pain, De Qi), the effects of deep acupuncture sensations on HR and ANS functions were determined. In this comparative study at Teikyo Heisei University, Tokyo, Japan, 40 healthy, male student volunteers rested for 20 minutes before undergoing manual acupuncture to the (LI 10) acupoint on the left forearm for 2 minutes at a frequency of 1 Hz, with concurrent electrocardiography.

Evaluation of Autonomic Nervous System Function Using Heart Rate Variability Analysis During Transient Heart Rate Reduction Caused by Acupuncture.

Human studies have demonstrated that heart rate (HR) decreases during acupuncture stimulation, and pharmacologic studies have shown that this autonomic nervous system (ANS) response is parasympathetic-dominant. It has become clear that significant changes occur in the ANS after acupuncture, based on HR variability (HRV). However, it is inconclusive, according to HRV analysis, if acupuncture induces a significant change in autonomic function during stimulation.

Effects of electroacupuncture to the trigeminal nerve area on the autonomic nervous system and cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex.

Background: The autonomic nervous system and trigeminal nerve are involved in adjusting flow through diverging cerebral arteries in the prefrontal cortex. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 100 Hz electroacupuncture (EA) to the trigeminal nerve area on cerebral blood flow and autonomic nervous system function.

Method: This was a randomised crossover study of 16 healthy volunteers who were assigned to an EA or control group.

Effect of 100 Hz electroacupuncture on salivary immunoglobulin A and the autonomic nervous system.

Background: A previous study has reported that low-frequency (LF) electroacupuncture (EA) influences salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is known to control the secretion volume of sIgA; however, the effect of high-frequency (HF) EA on salivary sIgA has not been determined. We investigated whether HF EA affects salivary sIgA levels and the ANS.

Clonidine induces sedation through acting on the perifornical area and the locus coeruleus in rats.

Background: The main target site of action for the sedative clonidine (CLO), an α2 adrenoceptor agonist, has been considered to be the locus coeruleus (LC). However, previous reports suggest other sites of action of CLO than the LC. Our previous studies suggested that the neuronal activities in the perifornical area (Pef) could influence the sedative or the anesthetic level induced by anesthetics.

Melanin concentrating hormone induces hippocampal acetylcholine release via the medial septum in rats.

Among various actions of melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), its memory function has been focused in animal studies. Although MCH neurons project to various areas in the brain, one main target site of MCH is hippocampal formation for memory consolidation. Recent immunohistochemical study shows that MCH neurons directly project to the hippocampal formation and may indirectly affect the hippocampus through the medial septum nucleus (MS).

Effect of acupuncture depth on muscle pain.

Background: While evidence supports efficacy of acupuncture and/or dry needling in treating musculoskeletal pain, it is unclear which needling method is most effective. This study aims to determine the effects of depth of needle penetration on muscle pain.

Methods: A total of 22 healthy volunteers performed repeated eccentric contractions to induce muscle soreness in their extensor digital muscle.