Insights & Discussion
Acupuncture has shown promise as a complementary approach in treating chronic abdominal pain, providing symptom relief and improving quality of life.
The methodology revolves around applying acupuncture, a form of integrative medicine from traditional Chinese medicine, to patients suffering from chronic abdominal pain. This pain is defined as having three severe abdominal pain instances over three months, often caused by chronic acute pain or chronic pain syndromes, primarily IBS and IBD. Despite existing treatments, these often fail to control the symptoms completely, leaving room for complementary methods like acupuncture. This practice is based on rebalancing a patient's Qi, or Ying/Yang balance, previously shown effective in treating various conditions.
The results reveal that acupuncture can serve as a crucial adjunct in managing chronic abdominal pain. It is not a cure, but it significantly aids in symptom reduction and quality of life improvement. Particularly for those affected by IBS and IBD, acupuncture offers extra relief from lingering symptoms, thereby improving quality of life, decreasing disability, and potentially contributing to healthcare cost savings. Acupuncture has emerged as a safe, inexpensive, and beneficial approach for selected patients suffering from chronic abdominal pain.
Acupuncture is shown to be a beneficial supplementary treatment for chronic abdominal pain, improving patients' quality of life and cutting healthcare costs.
The research explores the utilization of acupuncture to treat chronic abdominal pain, a condition widespread and chiefly affected by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This type of pain is defined by three episodes of severe abdominal pain over a span of three months. While its causes are still being looked into, it is believed to be an outcome of the chronicity of acute pain or chronic pain syndromes. A wide array of treatments for these conditions exist but often fall short of fully controlling the symptoms. Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine based on the concept of rebalancing the patient's Qi, or Ying/Yang balance, is being investigated as a complementary method.
In terms of results, acupuncture has proven effective in providing additional alleviation of symptoms, leading to improved quality of life and reduced disability for patients affected by chronic abdominal pain. While it's not a curative solution, it aids in minimizing symptoms and enhancing overall life quality. It is also considered a safe and inexpensive alternative that may result in significant healthcare savings. Notably, it's not recommended for all patients; its benefits seem to be more pronounced in a select group.
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Acupuncture shows promising results in managing autoimmune diseases by potentially regulating immune responses.
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2022 The American Journal of Chinese Medicine Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Acupuncture in Autoimmune Diseases Jing Wang, Fangyi Zhu, Wei Huang, Zhengyi Chen, Ping Zhao, Yanting Lei, et al.
Review Article Inflammatory Bowel Disease Multiple Sclerosis Rheumatoid Arthritis
The methodology of the study involved a comprehensive review of how acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, may be employed as a treatment method for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The research was based on existing knowledge and accumulating data, investigating the role of acupuncture in regulating immune responses during these conditions.
The discussion of the results revealed that acupuncture showed promise in managing these diseases. It was noted that the positive outcomes observed might be linked to the potential of acupuncture to regulate abnormal immune responses which are characteristic of autoimmune diseases. Despite the fact that the precise mechanism through which this achieved is not fully understood, the findings indicate a promising alternative method of managing autoimmune conditions.
Xiao Yao San can improve symptoms and reduce recurrence rates in patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction.
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2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Herbal Medicine Xiao Yao San in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Liu Q, Shi Z, Zhang T, Jiang T, Luo X, Su X, et al.
Systematic Review Constipation Functional gastrointestinal disorders Indigestion
The paper's methodology involved a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found in seven databases, up until November 22, 2021. The trials, which totaled 48 all together, were included to determine the efficacy of Xiao-Yao-San in treating disorders of gut-brain interaction (previously known as functional gastrointestinal disorders). A range of measures, including therapeutic efficacy, symptom score, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale score, Self-Rating Depression Scale score, and the recurrence rate, were analysed using both random-effects and fixed-effects models, as well as trial sequential analysis.
In terms of results, Xiao-Yao-San showed a marked improvement in the effective rate of managing disorders of gut-brain interaction compared to western drugs, both when used alone and in combination with western medicine. The paper also found the treatment notably reduced symptom scores, anxiety scores, and depression scores for patients with the disorder. Further, instances of recurrence were also reduced. Overall, Xiao-Yao-San was well tolerated and no serious adverse events were reported in any of the trials included in this analysis.
Traditional Chinese medicine therapies, like acupuncture and moxibustion, effectively alleviate irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea symptoms, and reduce recurrence rates.
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2022 Frontiers in Medicine External therapy of traditional Chinese medicine for treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis Wei X, Wen Y, Wei Y, Liang X, Ma X, Zhang B, et al.
Systematic Review Chinese Medicine Diarrhoea Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Adhering to the guidelines for systematic reviews, multiple databases including PubMed and Cochrane Library, and several Chinese databases were thoroughly searched. The focus was randomized controlled trials that compared traditional Chinese external therapies with western medicine for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea up until the end of 2021. Two authors were independently responsible for screening, data extraction and study assessment. Study quality assessment involved both the Jadad scale and Cochrane Collaborative's risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed on the data collated using Review Manager software.
The gathered data revealed that of the twenty-one studies examined, including a total of 1,862 subjects, acupuncture and moxibustion were the most prevalent external therapies. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that in comparison to the control group, the experimental group demonstrated marked improvement. Notably, the experimental group had superior clinical effectiveness rates, better clinical cure rates, and reduced recurrence. Additionally, there was significant improvement in irritable bowel syndrome related quality of life within the experimental group. Despite these promising results, the publication bias of the included studies was noted as a potential limitation.
Peppermint oil proved more effective than placebo in treating irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, but with an increased rate of adverse events.
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2022 Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Systematic review and meta‐analysis: efficacy of peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome Ingrosso MR, Ianiro G, Nee J, Lembo AJ, Moayyedi P, Black CJ, et al.
Systematic Review Irritable Bowel Syndrome
In evaluating the effectiveness and safety of peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome, the researchers searched medical literature for randomised controlled trials involving peppermint oil treatments in IBS. A systematic review and analysis included trials up to the date of April 2nd, 2022. The team assessed the efficacy and safety of the peppermint oil treatment based on various factors including effect on global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain along with incidence of adverse events or gastro-oesophageal reflux.
From the literature review, 10 suitable randomised control trials were identified, encompassing a total of 1030 patients. The results showed that peppermint oil performed better than a placebo in lessening overall irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and reducing abdominal pain. However, this was coupled with a higher rate of recorded adverse events in patients who were administered peppermint oil. Despite the positive performance of peppermint oil over placebo, the evidence quality considered for this conclusion was very low.
Goji berries, notably their polysaccharides, exhibit protective effects against inflammatory bowel disease through the preservation of healthy gut microbiota.
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2022 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Prebiotic effects of goji berry in protection against inflammatory bowel disease Sun Q, Du M, Kang Y, Zhu MJ
Review Article Goji Berry Gut Microbiota Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The review encompassed an in-depth analysis of current literature specially focusing on the role of goji berry and its important functional constituents in countering Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The core attentiveness of the research is directed towards understanding the interplay between goji berries, particularly their polysaccharides, and gut microbiota. The goji berries’ protective effects were evaluated, focusing on how they curb disruption in gut microbiota, a common facet in IBD.
The review concluded that goji berries, especially their polysaccharides, demonstrated appreciable benefits in averting gut microbiota disturbances seen with IBD, thus protecting against this condition. These natural substances, present in goji berries, function as prebiotics, which maintain a balanced gut microbial ecosystem. The research further revealed that proper functioning of gut microbiota and their metabolites was a crucial element in mediating these beneficial effects against IBD, thus cementing the role of dietary interventions in managing diseases linked with gut health.
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