Insights & Discussion
The existing evidence suggests that most acupuncture therapies, including acupuncture combined with other therapies, are effective in decreasing pain and in improving physical function.
Thirty-three trials with 1,692 patients were included. Patients were allocated to 22 kinds of interventions, of which dry needling and manual acupuncture was the most frequently investigated intervention. Compared with placebo-sham acupuncture, scraping combined with warming acupuncture and moxibustion was found to be more effective for decreasing pain intensity; miniscalpel-needle was more effective for increasing the PPT; trigger points injection with bupivacaine was associated with the highest risk of adverse event; and only EA showed a significant difference in the ROM.
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The Gui Zhi-Shao Yao herb pair in traditional Chinese medicine potentially treats chronic pain, anxiety, and depression through interactions with nine key targets.
2022 Annals of Medicine A network pharmacology approach to predict potential targets and mechanisms of “Ramulus Cinnamomi (cassiae) – Paeonia lactiflora” herb pair in the treatment of chronic pain with comorbid anxiety and depression Pan HT, Xi ZQ, Wei XQ, Wang K
Network Pharmacology Anxiety Depression Shao Yao
The methodology in this research utilised network pharmacology to explore the active components of the "Gui Zhi-Shao Yao" herb pair and their possible targets. Initially, 15 active compounds were identified through a series of analysis which revealed about 130 potential targets. By considering the intersections between the targets of the "Gui Zhi-Shao Yao" herb pair and chronic pain, anxiety disorder, and mental depression, nine vital targets were identified and listed in order of importance.
The results discussion revealed that the "Gui Zhi-Shao Yao" herb pairing acted on the nine identified key targets to alleviate chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. Gene ontology and pathway analysis demonstrated that there were 11 primary pathways, including AGE-RAGE signalling pathway, IL-17 signalling pathway, and TNF signalling pathway. These pathways appear to be actively involved in the pathological processes, providing a holistic understanding of how the "Gui Zhi-Shao Yao" herb pair functions therapeutically.
Acupuncture appears to have an effect on diabetic peripheral neuropathy, effectively improving nerve conduction and clinical symptoms.
2021 Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics Acupuncture treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: An overview of systematic reviews Yu B, Li M, Huang H, Ma S, Huang K, Zhong Z, et al.
Systematic Review Diabetic Neuropathy Type 2 Diabetes
Acupuncture appears to have an effect on DPN, effectively improving nerve conduction and clinical symptoms. Although the methodological quality of the included studies was generally very low and defects were frequent, our study highlights areas where improvement in methodology is required. There is a need for further study of the pathogenesis of DPN, and for developing a unified standard for methods of acupuncture treatment, acupoint selection, and adverse reactions reporting. Traditional Chinese medical practices such as acupuncture should adopt an evidence-based approach to provide greater confidence in their use.
In the treatment of chronic pain with depression, acupuncture could not only achieve better clinical efficacy, but also have higher safety compared with conventional mediation therapy.
2020 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Effect of Acupuncture on Chronic Pain with Depression: A Systematic Review Yan B, Zhu S, Wang Y, Da G, Tian G
Systematic Review Depression
Acupuncture has a promising application prospect due to its unique advantages for the treatment of chronic pain with depression comorbidity, which can be used in patients suffering from some certain chronic pain with depression comorbidity with poorer response to the conventional medication or suffering from serious side effects.
Pomegranate, due to its polyphenols, flavonoids and fatty acids, exhibits significant pain-relieving effects and could potentially be used as a treatment for various types of pain.
2020 Plants Pomegranate as a Potential Alternative of Pain Management: A Review Guerrero-Solano JA, Jaramillo-Morales OA, Velázquez-González C, De la O-Arciniega M, Castañeda-Ovando A, Betanzos-Cabrera G, et al.
Review Article Neuropathic Pain Pomegranate
The methodology utilized in the research consisted of conducting a review of scientific articles that met specific inclusion criteria. They focused on the use of different parts of a pomegranate and how they impact different kinds of pain. Special attention was given to the antinociceptive effect of pomegranate, with the potential mechanisms of action being closely scrutinized.
The results of the review have provided evidence that the pomegranate plant contains elements that have an antinociceptive effect and that this effect could be due to the presence of compounds like polyphenols, flavonoids, and fatty acids. The analyses suggest that these effects might be due to the activation of the L-arginine / NO pathway, TRP superfamily members (TRPA1 or TRPV1) and the opioid system. Implications for the field include understanding the mechanisms by which this effect is generated to potentially develop alternative treatments for specific types of pain, aiming to both alleviate discomfort and reduce the adverse effects produced by traditional drugs. The research proposes that the pomegranate could be further considered for the treatment of inflammatory, nociceptive, and neuropathic pain.
Ginger, through various methods, exhibits promising pain reduction effects for conditions such as dysmenorrhea, muscle soreness, osteoarthritis, low back pain, and migraines.
2020 Phytotherapy Research Clinical trials on pain lowering effect of ginger: A narrative review Rondanelli M, Fossari F, Vecchio V, Gasparri C, Peroni G, Spadaccini D, et al.
Review Article Ginger Low Back Pain Osteoarthritis
The review incorporates a vast range of randomized controlled trials conducted over the past decade, where ginger was mainly used for pain relief in distinct conditions. The conditions included dysmenorrhea, delayed onset muscle soreness, osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain, and migraines. The variety of methods used included oral administration, topical application, and aromatic oil massages.
In the analysed trials, for dysmenorrhea and muscle soreness, the considered studies suggested a promising effect after both oral and topical administration of ginger. As for osteoarthritis, most trials demonstrated pain reduction following topical and oral use of ginger, one focused on the beneficial effects of ginger in relieving migraine pain. Last but not least, a trial involving massages with aromatic ginger oil highlighted its potential in reducing chronic low back pain.
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