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Journal of Pain Research 2020Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative disease, making a unique contribution to chronic pain, edema, and limited mobility of knee joint. Traditional Chinese... (Review)
Review
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative disease, making a unique contribution to chronic pain, edema, and limited mobility of knee joint. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a common complementary therapy for KOA and has been found effective. The aim of this review is to consolidate the current knowledge about the mechanism of four interventions of TCM: acupuncture, moxibustion, herbs, and massage in treating KOA, and how they alleviate symptoms such as pain, swelling, and dysfunction. Furthermore, this review highlights that four therapies have different mechanisms but all of them can manage KOA through inhibiting inflammation, which indicates that alternative therapies should be considered as a viable complementary treatment for pain management in clinical practice.
PubMed: 32606908
DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S247827 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2021According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. In Spain, about a quarter of a million cases were diagnosed in... (Review)
Review
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. In Spain, about a quarter of a million cases were diagnosed in 2017, and 81% of the Spanish population has used, at least once, some kind of complementary therapy. Said therapies are increasingly being used by cancer patients. The purpose of the study is to analyse the effectiveness of complementary therapies among cancer patients. A systematic peer review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guide in four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and WOS). The inclusion criteria were Randomised Clinical Trials, published between 2013 and 2018, with a value of 3 or more on the Jadad Scale. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019127593). The study sample amounted to 1845 patients (64.55% women), the most common being breast cancer patients (794), followed by lung cancer patients (341). Fifteen complementary therapies were identified. We found two studies for each of the following: electroacupuncture, phytotherapy, hypnotherapy, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation. From the remaining ones, we identified a study on each therapy. The findings reveal some effective complementary therapies: auriculotherapy and acupuncture, laser moxibustion, hypnosis, Ayurveda, electroacupuncture, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery, yoga, phytotherapy, music therapy and traditional Chinese medicine. On the other hand, electroacupuncture, laser moxibustion and traditional Chinese medicine presented adverse effects, and kinesiology did not show effectiveness.
Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Complementary Therapies; Female; Humans; Male; Moxibustion; Neoplasms; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Spain
PubMed: 33498883
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18031017 -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology May 2022Moxibustion therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine external treatment method, which involves crushing dried herb Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vanio and rolling it into... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Moxibustion therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine external treatment method, which involves crushing dried herb Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vanio and rolling it into a long cigarette-like strip, igniting it and using its warmth to stimulate specific acupuncture points for a certain period of time. It is often used in Asia to treat various diseases, especially abdominal pain. Clinical reports suggest that acupuncture and moxibustion are the effective treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea (IBS-D). However, there is no placebo-controlled study to prove its safety and efficacy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of mild moxibustion (MM) for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) through comparisons with those of placebo moxibustion.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This was a single-site, randomized controlled trial was conducted at Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian in China and enrolled 76 participants who met the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for IBS-D between May 2017 and December 2019. 76 participants were randomized to either mild moxibustion (MM) or placebo moxibustion group (PM) in a 1:1 ratio. 18 sessions of MM or PM were implemented over the course of 6 weeks (3 times per week). The primary outcome was adequate relief after 6 weeks of treatment.
RESULTS
Of 76 patients with IBS-D who were randomized (38 in the MM group and 38 in the PM group) were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis set. After treatment at week 6, the response rate was significantly higher in the MM group than the PM group (81.58% vs. 36.84%) with an estimated difference of 44.74 (95% CI, 23.46 to 66.02, P < 0.001). No participant reported severe adverse effects.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that mild moxibustion may be more effective than placebo moxibustion for the treatment of IBS-D, with effects lasting up to 12 weeks.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ChiCTR, ChiCTR2100046852. Registered 29 May 2021 - Retrospectively registered, URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=127000.
Topics: Adult; Diarrhea; Female; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Male; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Middle Aged; Moxibustion; Single-Blind Method; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35114338
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115064 -
Medicine Feb 2020Primary osteoporosis (PO) is a common disease that was characterized by a systemic impairment of bone mass and microarchitecture that results in fragility fractures and...
Primary osteoporosis (PO) is a common disease that was characterized by a systemic impairment of bone mass and microarchitecture that results in fragility fractures and constitutes a pressing public health problem. But the effect of acupuncture or moxibustion treatment for PO is controversial.To provide a comprehensive systematic overview of current evidence from systematic reviews (SR)/Meta-analysis of acupuncture treatment for PO pertaining to risk of bias, quality of evidence and report quality.A total of 9 international and Chinese databases were searched for SR/meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The risk of bias of SR/meta-analysis was appraised using the risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) instrument, the quality of the evidence was evaluated via Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), and the report quality of the included studies are estimated by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA).According to ROBIS, only 2 articles were with risk of low bias; according to PRISMA, and most articles were reported incomplete, mainly in Q2, Q7, Q24, and Q27; according to GRADE, a total of 28 outcome indicators were evaluated under 4 different interventions of experimental group and control group: the evidence quality of bone mineral density (BMD) from treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion/acupuncture and moxibustion plus was high or moderate; Visual Analogue Score (VAS) of acupuncture plus moxibustion or acupuncture plus moxibustion plus other was low or very low; clinical effectiveness of acupuncture plus moxibustion or acupuncture plus moxibustion plus other was uncertain.Acupuncture and moxibustion can improve the BMD of PO patients according to high-quality evidence, and may benefit VAS, pain score, clinical efficacy based on moderate or low-quality evidence. Further research that provides higher quality evidence of SR/RCTs of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for PO is required.
Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Humans; Moxibustion; Osteoporosis; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32118767
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000019334 -
Medicine Dec 2021Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. The main clinical manifestations of DPN include pain, numbness,... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. The main clinical manifestations of DPN include pain, numbness, paraesthesia, and weakness of the lower limbs which often leads to diabetic foot ulceration, eventually resulting in amputation. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, moxibustion has a great effect on treating and preventing DPN. However, randomized clinical trials done to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment are still lacking. Hence, this study is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy on diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
METHODS
This study will be a pilot, interventional, randomized, 2-armed, parallel, singled-masked, controlled trial. A total of 40 diabetes mellitus patients with peripheral neuropathy will be recruited and assigned randomly into 2 groups (moxibustion group and waiting group) at a 1:1 ratio. This trial consists of an 8-week intervention period and a 4-week follow-up period. During the intervention period, the moxibustion group will take 3 moxibustion sessions per week, whereas no intervention will be done on the waiting group to act as the control group. The outcome will be assessed by an outcome assessor who is unaware of the group assignment. The primary outcome will be pain assessment measured with algometry, Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scale, visual analogue scale, and neuropathy pain scale. The secondary outcome will be an evaluation of functional performance capacity with 6 minutes walking test, evaluation of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure, and serum HbA1c and albumin levels.
DISCUSSION
We hope that this trial will provide valuable insights on the efficacy of moxibustion in the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov Registry No.: NCT04894461 (URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04894461?term=NCT04894461&draw=2&rank=1) Registered on May 20, 2021.
Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetic Foot; Diabetic Neuropathies; Humans; Moxibustion; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pain; Pain Measurement; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34889293
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028173 -
Evidence-based Complementary and... 2021This review aimed at systematically evaluating the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This review aimed at systematically evaluating the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
METHODS
Relevant trials were searched in seven digital databases up to January 2021. After literature screening, data extraction, and literature quality evaluation, the included studies were meta-analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. The evidence level was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).
RESULTS
Fifteen studies involving 1030 CFS participants were included. Meta-analyses showed a favorable effect of moxibustion on the total effective rate compared with acupuncture (OR = 4.58, 95%CI = [2.85, 7.35], < 0.00001) and drugs (OR = 6.36, 95%CI = [3.48, 11.59], < 0.00001). Moxibustion also appeared to significantly reduce fatigue severity measured by fatigue scale-14 (FS-14) (WMD = -2.20, 95% CI = [-3.16, -1.24], < 0.00001) and fatigue assessment instrument (FAI) (WMD = -16.36, 95% CI = [-26.58, -6.14], =0.002) compared with the control group. In addition, among the 15 included studies, only two studies reported adverse events related to moxibustion, and the symptoms were relatively mild. The quality of evidence based on the 15 included trials was assessed as moderate to very low.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on limited evidence, moxibustion might be an effective and safe complementary therapy for CFS, which can be recommended to manage CFS. Because of the limited level of evidence in this review, further high-quality trials are still needed to confirm these findings.
PubMed: 34804182
DOI: 10.1155/2021/6418217 -
Complementary Therapies in Medicine Sep 2023This study aimed to examine the effect of acupuncture on symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients with endometriosis.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the effect of acupuncture on symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients with endometriosis.
METHODS
Nine biomedical databases were searched to April 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials of acupuncture and/or moxibustion used alone or as adjunct to guideline-recommended pharmacotherapy for the treatment of endometriosis. One reviewer extracted data and another verified the data. A random effects model was used to calculate mean differences.
RESULTS
Fifteen trials involving 1018 patients met the inclusion criteria, but diversity in comparisons and outcome measures prevented meta-analysis. Compared to sham acupuncture, manual acupuncture was more effective at reducing dysmenorrhea VAS pain score (mean difference [MD] - 2.40, 95 % CI [- 2.80, - 2.00]; moderate certainty evidence), pelvic pain VAS score (MD - 2.65, 95 % CI [- 3.40, - 1.90]; high certainty evidence) and dyspareunia VAS scores (MD - 2.88, [- 3.83, - 1.93]), lessened the size of ovarian cyst (MD - 3.88, 95 % CI [- 7.06, - 0.70]), and improved quality of life. Compared to conventional therapy, manual acupuncture plus conventional therapy and warm needle alone resulted in greater improvements in quality of life than conventional therapy. Among the six studies that reported safety, fewer adverse events were reported in participants who received acupuncture or moxibustion.
CONCLUSIONS
Low to moderate certainty evidence from single studies showed that manual acupuncture may improve pain-related symptoms and quality of life; however, there is insufficient evidence on the overall effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion for endometriosis.
Topics: Female; Humans; Moxibustion; Quality of Life; Endometriosis; Acupuncture Therapy; Dysmenorrhea
PubMed: 37453585
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102963 -
Cancers May 2022Although acupuncture (AT) is used in the treatment of CRF, the evidence from different systematic reviews (SRs) of AT has not yet been comprehensively evaluated.... (Review)
Review
Although acupuncture (AT) is used in the treatment of CRF, the evidence from different systematic reviews (SRs) of AT has not yet been comprehensively evaluated. Moxibustion, which is a treatment method that is well established within Traditional East Asian Medicine, applies the heat of burning herbs towards or onto special points on the skin. Commonly, the herb Artemisia vulgaris, is used. It has been used for palliative cancer care, as well as for CRF. The aim of this overview was to evaluate the efficacy of AT and moxibustion in the management of CRF. Eleven databases were searched through for studies that were published from their dates of inception to February 2022. The study selection, the data extraction, and the assessment were performed independently by two researchers. The methodological and report quality were assessed by using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool. The evidence quality was evaluated by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Fifteen SRs on AT (n = 10) and moxibustion (n = 5) treatments for CRF were included, and they include 169 randomized controlled trials and 14,392 participants. All of the SRs that were evaluated by the AMASTAR-2 had more than one deficiency, and so all of the SRs were rated as either low or critically low. For the GRADE, 18 outcomes were rated as very-low-quality evidence, 13 as low-quality evidence, 3 as moderate-quality evidence, and 0 as high-quality evidence. Most of the SRs reached the potential benefits of AT for CRF. No serious adverse effects were identified. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that, despite the advantages of AT in terms of the improvement in and the safety of the treatment of CRF, the methodological quality of most of these studies is low, which limits our ability to draw definitive meanings. Further research of high quality is needed in order to confirm these findings.
PubMed: 35625952
DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102347 -
Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Sep 2022Moxibustion has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. However, there is no systematic review of current topics and clinical findings on... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Moxibustion has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. However, there is no systematic review of current topics and clinical findings on moxibustion for COVID-19. We conducted this scoping review to systematically summarize and analyze the themes and findings of published articles, and to provide an overview of current knowledge and practice of moxibustion for COVID-19.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, Wan Fang Data, and VIP databases were searched from inception until April 2022. The relevant data were presented through bar graphs, structured tables, and figures along with descriptive statistics and analysis. This scoping review was conducted based on the PRISMA-ScR Checklist.
RESULTS
A total of 76 articles were reviewed: 47 reviews, 19 clinical research studies, seven systematic reviews (all were protocols), and three guidelines. All the studies were conducted by Chinese researchers and published from January 1, 2020 to March 14, 2022. The feasibility of moxibustion in the prevention and treatment of mild or moderate COVID-19 is based on the consensus of therapeutic mechanisms and effectiveness. The most adopted approach was the suspended and gentle moxibustion, and the most frequently applied or recommended acupoints were found to be ST36, CV8, CV6, CV4, CV12, GV14, BL13, LI4, ST25, and LR3.
CONCLUSIONS
As a convenient and safe traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy with its specific feature, moxibustion has been significantly effective at ameliorating mild or moderate symptoms among COVID-19 patients. Further large-scale, well-designed research and international cooperation are still warranted in clinical evaluations of moxibustion.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
http://links.lww.com/AHM/A35.
PubMed: 37808347
DOI: 10.1097/HM9.0000000000000044 -
Integrative Cancer Therapies 2023Cancer treatment remains a significant challenge for the medical community, and improved therapies are necessary to treat cancer and its associated complications.... (Review)
Review
Cancer treatment remains a significant challenge for the medical community, and improved therapies are necessary to treat cancer and its associated complications. Current anticancer therapies often have significant side effects, underscoring the need for new treatment options. Moxibustion is a representative external therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine. This review examines clinical studies demonstrating moxibustion's ability to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and control tumor progression. Moxibustion can prevent and treat various complications of cancer, including cancer-related or therapy-induced gastrointestinal symptoms, myelosuppression, fatigue, pain, and postoperative lymphedema. has also been shown to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients. However, very few studies have investigated the underlying mechanisms for these effects, a topic that requires systematic elucidation. Evidence has shown that moxibustion alone or combined with chemotherapy can improve survival and inhibit tumor growth in cancer-bearing animal models. The anticancer effect of moxibustion is associated with alleviating the tumor immunosuppressive and vascular microenvironments. Additionally, the therapeutic effects of moxibustion may originate from the heat and radiation produced during the combustion process on acupoints or lesions. This evidence provides a scientific basis for the clinical application of moxibustion in anticancer treatment and reducing the side effects of cancer therapies and helps promote the precise application of moxibustion in cancer treatment.
Topics: Humans; Moxibustion; Quality of Life; Neoplasms; Fatigue; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37746720
DOI: 10.1177/15347354231198089