Neuropathic Pain

Presentation Slides

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Review Article

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, Bautista M

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Randomised Controlled Trial

Acupuncture treatment significantly improves neuropathic symptoms in women suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy after breast cancer therapy.

2019 The Oncologist Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
Lu W, Giobbie-Hurder A, Freedman RA, Shin IH, Lin NU, Partridge AH, Rosenthal DS, Ligibel JA

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

The majority of trials demonstrate a positive effect of acupuncture over control condition in the treatment of neuropathy.

2015 Neurology Effects of Acupuncture on Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Alexandra Dimitrova, Charles Murchison, Barry Oken

Executive Summary

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Research into Chinese medicine treatment for Neuropathic Pain" summarising the research below and using language that can be easily understood by patients and avoiding medical jargon using a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Researched Chinese medicine treatments for Neuropathic Pain" summarising the research below in an objective and easy to understand way, and using language that can be easily understood by patients. Group the article into Chinese medicine treatments first, followed by nutrition and other treatments. Avoid using medical jargon and use a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write me a concise but easy to understand executive summary on the topic of "Chinese medicine treatments for Neuropathic Pain" based on the following research that I will give you. Your summary should be 2 paragraphs long in Australian English spelling and include references to the studies.

A Review Article published in 2020 in the journal Plants found that 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. 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.

A Randomised Controlled Trial published in 2019 in the journal The Oncologist found that Acupuncture treatment significantly improves neuropathic symptoms in women suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy after breast cancer therapy. In this randomized pilot trial, women with stage I-III breast cancer with grade 1 or higher chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy post adjuvant chemotherapy were tested. Patients were split evenly into two groups: an immediate acupuncture group and a control group. Those in the immediate acupuncture arm underwent 18 acupuncture sessions over 8 weeks before the treatment was halted. Conversely, the control group received the usual care over eight weeks before beginning nine acupuncture sessions across the same time span. Different parameters such as sensory scores, neurotoxicity, and pain severity were evaluated at the start, then at 4, 8, and 16 weeks post enrollment. The results, which excluded any statistical references, showed a notable improvement in the immediate acupuncture group in terms of neuropathic symptoms, including sensory scores, neurotoxicity summary score, and pain severity score when observed at the end of eight weeks. No negative side effects were observed during the entire period. This indicates acupuncture as a potential therapeutic option for breast cancer patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

A Systematic Review published in 2015 in the journal Neurology found that The majority of trials demonstrate a positive effect of acupuncture over control condition in the treatment of neuropathy. The majority of RCTs reviewed showed clear benefit for acupuncture over control in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, Bell’s palsy and carpal tunnel syndrome. Acupuncture is probably effective in the treatment of HIV-related neuropathy and there is insufficient evidence for its benefits in idiopathic neuropathy. Meta-analyses of all diabetic neuropathy and bell’s palsy data using a summary estimate random effects model showed combined Odds Ratio (OR) of 4.23, p<0.001 favoring acupuncture over control for pain outcomes. The majority of trials demonstrate a positive effect of acupuncture over control condition in the treatment of neuropathy. Further more rigorously designed studies are needed to better characterize this effect.

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