A GAIA ORIGINAL

Finally, the remarkable healing power of acupresssure is made accessible to everyone. This book shows you how the simple application of finger pressure to specific points on the surface of the body stimulates subtle energies that can alleviate many common ailments.

Acupressure for Common Ailments demystifies the Oriental origins of this therapy. It enables you to treat conditions that may otherwise require sophisticated forms of drug treatment. Clear illustrations make the body's pressure points easy to locate.

This self-help guide enables anyone, from a complete beginner to practicing therapists, to treat ailments from arthritis to asthma, and other health problems such as sinusitis, sore eyes, colds and influenza, indigestion, nausea and acidity, menstrual pain, cystitis and sciatica, depression, anxiety, and shock. It will appeal to all those who want to implement the healing powers of the body without recourse to the prescription pad.

* Learn how to use the body's natural healing processes
* Understand the importance of the holistic approach to healing
* Replace drug therapy with gentle healing techniques
* Boost the immune system and relieve ailments such as postviral syndrome, hemorrhoids, and earache

Author: Chris Jarmey
Paperback: 96 pages
Company: Fireside (1991-10-15)
ISBN: 0671731351
List Price: $12.95
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In an accessible and attractive package, each Naturally Better title covers a single therapy, explaining its history and lore, how it works, and how and when to practice it at home. The series begins with four of the more popular alternative therapies: Aromatherapy, Acupressure, T'ai Chi, and Herbal Remedies.

Aromatherapy introduces the concept of essential oils and essences, explaining how to prepare and use them in infusions, baths, and massages. Acupressure shows how to use various massage and pressure techniques to release the chi, the essential body energy, and relieve certain illnesses and symptoms. T'ai Chi offers a brief introduction to this martial art, showing the basic movements and patterns that promote flexibility and relieve tension. Finally, Herbal Remedies introduces a wide range of medicinal herbs and demonstrates their uses and preparations.

Each book gives explicit step-by-step instructions through full-color photos and illustrations. A section on specific symptoms and their treatments rounds out the package. Beautifully illustrated, innovatively packaged, and expertly written, the Naturally Better books will inform while they entertain.

Author: Carola Beresford Cooke, Peter Albright
Hardcover: 64 pages
Company: Wiley (1996-02-12)
ISBN: 002860833X
List Price: $12.95
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Ease your aches and find relief through the power of touch

Searching for alternative treatments for pain? This friendly, do-it-yourself guide introduces you to the basics and benefits of acupressure and reflexology, showing you step by step how to nurture your emotional and physical well-being and that of someone else. You'll see how to target specific body parts to address your ailments and improve your emotional as well as your physical well-being.

Understand basic healing principles

Relieve your specific aches and pains

Boost your immune system

Address age-related ailments

Find professional help

Author: Bobbi Dempsey, Synthia Andrews
Paperback: 360 pages
Company: For Dummies (2007-09-04)
ISBN: 0470139420
List Price: $19.99
Amazon Price: $9.45
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The section on reflexology presents both foot and hand charts and explains massage techniques used to increase energy flow to corresponding areas of the body. The section on acupressure features a simplified Chinese body chart locating the main meridians and pressure points, with treatment techniques for many common ailments.
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Practical step-by-step advice to suit everyone, including children and the elderly. Detailed color photographs guide the reader through every step.

Author: Janet Wright
Paperback: 128 pages
Company: Book Publishing Company (TN) (2003-01-09)
ISBN: 1570671494
List Price: $14.95
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If you are interested in knowning more about acupressure and acupuncture, this guide covers all aspects of treatment from choosing a practitioner to follow-up excercises. It provides a comprehensive listing of medical ailments from acne to menopause that can be healed naturally.

You have the potential to relieve most ailments with your hands. Acupressure is an ancient art practiced by Chinese for over 5,000 years. This fully illustrated guide by Aaron Stein, Ph.D., distills acupressure into simple exercises that can be used to alleviate wide range of medical conditions. Since its release 3 years ago over 25,000 people downloaded the guide!

Ailments Covered by the Acupressure Guide:

Headache and Migraine: Frontal Headache | Back of the head | Side of the head | Top of the head | Pain in the eye (Migraine behind the eye)

Local Pain: Jaw | Toothache | Ear | Neck | Shoulder | Wrist | Hand | Backache | Hip | Knee | Ankle | Foot

Cold and Flu: Sore throat | Sinusitis | Loss of Voice | Earaches | Allergy

Nervous System: Anxiety Attacks and Nervousness | Depression | Insomnia | Fainting | Hiccoughs | Memory and Concentration Improvement

Cardiovascular: Angina | Palpitations | High Blood Pressure

Abdominal Discomfort: Constipation | Diarrhea | Heartburn and Stomachache

Women only: PMS and Painful Periods | Hot Flashes | Pregnancy

Urinary Problems: Bed-wetting | Incontinence | Urinary retention

Other: Nose bleeding | Allergy | Itching | Asthma | Decreased Libido | Hangover

- Practical and fully illustrated.
- Step-by-step guide to treatment of every condition.
- Every step explains point location, direction of force, and duration of massage.
- No previous experience necessary.
- It is not necessary to massage active points on your own, you can ask somebody else to massage points for you.
- Total treatment duration for most conditions is 10 to 15 minutes.

Acupressure and acupuncture share the same active points (also called trigger points). The ancient Chinese developed system of active points stimulation over 5,000 years ago. The active points are located on imaginary lines called meridians. Accordingly, the points are referred to by the meridian they are located on and consecutive number of point on that meridian.

The ancient Chinese believed that life energy chi (pronounced chee) flows through these meridians. In a healthy person the energy flow trough meridians is unobstructed. The blockade of chi flow results in an illness. The Chinese believed that active points stimulation clears the meridians and improves the flow of energy.

The western medical science only begins to understand the mechanisms responsible for positive effects of active points stimulation. Stimulation of active points is thought to lead to increased release of endorphins. Endorphin is a natural body painkiller. Endorphin and morphine are chemically different molecules but, by coincidence, they have very similar 3-dimensional shape. This similarity in shape allows morphine to bind the endorphin receptor, reduce pain, and induce feeling of happiness. Thus endorphin released by acupressure stimulation may lead to relaxation and normalization of body functions.

Acupresure is a safe, noninvasive and powerful way to participate in your horse's optimal health. This book inlcudes the basics of equine acupressure, plus 15 specific treatments for common equine physical and training conditions.

Author: Nancy A. Zidonis
Paperback: 160 pages
Company: Equine Acupressure, Inc. (1999-06-01)
ISBN: 096459823X
List Price: $29.95
Amazon Price: $18.82
Used Price: $12.20

Acupunct Med. 2011 Dec 28;
Lee KC, Keyes A, Hensley JR, Gordon JR, Kwasny MJ, West DP, Lio PA

BACKGROUND: Pruritus is a debilitating aspect of atopic dermatitis (AD). Acupuncture has been reported to diminish pruritus, but self-administered acupressure has not been previously evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure on the severity of eczema in a pilot trial. METHODS: Adult patients with AD were randomised to an intervention group (acupressure with standard of care) or a control group (standard of care alone). Subjects in the intervention group performed acupressure using a 1.2 mm acupellet at the LI11 point, applying pressure for 3 min three times per week for 4 weeks. The severity of itching and AD at baseline and at 4 weeks were measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS), the Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) and the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI). RESULTS: Fifteen subjects were enrolled, 12 of whom completed the study between November 2009 and May 2011. There was no significant change between baseline and follow-up survey scores within the control group. In the investigation group there was a decrease in the VAS score (p=0.05) and EASI lichenification (p=0.03), although without significant change in the overall EASI score. Comparison of the scores between groups showed a greater decrease in VAS in the experimental group than in the control group (p=0.04), and a decrease in the IGA (p=0.03) and EASI lichenification score (p=0.03). The overall EASI scores were unchanged. CONCLUSION: Subjects using acupressure at LI11 for 4 weeks had improvement in pruritus and lichenification. Acupressure may prove to be an easily administered alternative treatment, but larger-scale studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Oncol Nurs Forum. 2012 Jan; 39(1): E1-9
Suh EE

To evaluate the effects of pericardium 6 (P6) acupressure and nurse-provided counseling on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients with breast cancer.Randomized, controlled trial.A university cancer center in Seoul, South Korea.Sample: 120 women who were beginning their second cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy after definitive surgery for breast cancer and who had more than mild levels of nausea and vomiting with the first cycle of chemotherapy.Participants were assigned randomly into four groups: control (placebo on SI3), counseling only, P6 acupressure only, and P6 acupressure plus nurse-provided counseling. The experiences of upper-gastrointestinal distress were measured by the Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching for acute (day 1) and delayed (day 2 to day 5) CINV.Nausea, retching, vomiting, P6 acupressure, and counseling.No significant differences were found in the demographic and disease-related variables among the four groups. The levels of CINV were significantly different among the groups from day 2 to day 5. The CINV differences were attributed mainly to the difference between the control group and the group with P6 acupressure plus nurse-provided counseling. The effects of acupressure were proven from day 2 to day 5, and the effects of nurse-provided counseling were proven on day 4 and were close to significance level on day 5.Synergic effects of P6 acupressure with nurse-provided counseling appeared to be effective in reducing CINV in patients with breast cancer.P6 acupressure combined with counseling by nurses is a safe and easy-to-apply tool in CINV management in practice.

Am J Chin Med. 2011; 39(6): 1139-59
Chang KK, Wong TK, Wong TH, Leung AW, Chung JW

The efficacy of acupressure therapy in managing urodynamic stress incontinence has not been fully investigated. This study evaluates the effects of a validated acupressure protocol for treating women with urodynamic stress incontinence. A randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with a before-and-after study design was conducted. Eighty-one women aged between 18 and 60 were recruited at a urogynecology clinic in an acute hospital in Hong Kong. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (acupressure) group, a sham group, or a usual care (control) group. A validated acupressure protocol was employed in the intervention group. The intervention comprised three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each for a total of thirty sessions. Outcome measures included pelvic floor muscle strength, number of episodes of urine leakage over four days, self-reported severity of urine leakage, and responses on the Chinese version of the King's Health Questionnaire. No adverse effects were reported. Five percent of the participants dropped out of the study. Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted, the results indicated significant differences in pelvic floor muscle strength across the three groups (H =7.05, p =0.03) and in self-reported severity of urine leakage between the intervention and control groups (Z = -2.48, p = 0.01). Significant improvement in all domains of the Chinese version of the King's Health Questionnaire was evident in the intervention group. Acupressure is a simple and non-invasive intervention that appears to have positive physiological and psychological effects on women with urodynamic stress incontinence. The findings support acupressure as an intervention option for managing urodynamic stress incontinence in women.

J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Dec; 17(12): 1141-7
Kashefi F, Khajehei M, Ashraf AR, Jafari P

This study's objective was to examine the effectiveness of Sanyinjiao point (SP6) acupressure on women's general health.This was a randomized, single-blind clinical trial.The setting for this trial was at Medical University, Bojnoord University of Medical Science, Bojnoord, Iran.Eighty-six (86) university students were recruited for this study. Their demographic characteristics were gathered before the intervention commenced. Participants completed General Health Questionnaires (GHQ) prior to participation. Next, they were randomly assigned to either the acupressure-receiving group or the sham-pressure-receiving group. The study group received acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point, while the control group received sham pressure.Both groups completed GHQ after both the first and second months of intervention. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 13.5 for Windows.The mean age of those who completed the study was 20.84±1.64 years. Mean scores of GHQs were similar between groups before intervention (p>0.05). The general health of participants in both groups improved after intervention, and the amelioration in four domains was significant in the groups (p

Nutr Hosp. 2011 Oct; 26(5): 1018-24
Torres V, Castro Sánchez AM, Matarán Peñarocha GA, Lara Palomo I, Aguilar Ferrándiz ME, Moreno Lorenzo C

The purpose of this study was to analyze change of lifestyle in obese patients with cognitive behavior therapy and acupressure.An experimental study was performed with placebo control group. Forty patients were randomly assigned to intervention group (cognitive behaviour therapy + acupressure) and control group (information session). Outcome measure was a questionnaire for the assessment and quantification of obesity related lifestyles. Measures were performed at baseline and, after 3-months intervention.After 3 months of treatment, the intervention group showed significant differences (p

Complement Ther Med. 2011 Dec; 19(6): 303-10
Bishop JL, Northstone K, Green JR, Thompson EA

To report the frequency of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use by a population of pregnant women in the UK.Four postal self-completion questionnaires completed at 8, 12, 18 and 32 weeks' gestation provided the source of CAMs used. Questions asked for written descriptions about the use of any treatments, pills, medicines, ointments, homeopathic medicines, herbal medicines, supplements, drinks and herbal teas.An observational, population-based, cohort study of parents and children of 14,541 pregnant women residing within the former county of Avon in south-west England. Data was available for 14,115 women.Over a quarter (26.7%; n=3774) of women had used a CAM at least once in pregnancy, the use rising from 6% in the 1st trimester to 12.4% in the 2nd to 26.3% in the 3rd. Herbal teas were the most commonly reported CAM at any time in pregnancy (17.7%; n=2499) followed by homeopathic medicine (14.4%; n=2038) and then herbal medicine (5.8%; n=813). The most commonly used herbal product was chamomile used by 14.6% of women, the most commonly used homeopathic product was Arnica used by 3.1% of women. Other CAMs (osteopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture/acupressure, Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractic, cranial sacral therapy, hypnosis, non-specific massage and reflexology) accounted for less than 1% of users.CAM use in pregnancy, where a wide range of CAMs has been assessed, has not been widely reported. Studies that have been conducted report varying results to this study (26.7%) by between 13.3% and 87% of pregnant women. Survey results will be affected by a number of factors namely the inclusion/exclusion of vitamins and minerals, the timing of data collection, the country of source, the number of women surveyed, and the different selection criteria of either recruiting women to the study or of categorising and identifying a CAM treatment or product.

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011; 11: 88
Robinson N, Lorenc A, Liao X

Shiatsu, similar to acupressure, uses finger pressure, manipulations and stretches, along Traditional Chinese Medicine meridians. Shiatsu is popular in Europe, but lacks reviews on its evidence-base.Acupressure and Shiatsu clinical trials were identified using the MeSH term 'acupressure' in: EBM reviews; AMED; BNI; CINAHL; EMBASE; MEDLINE; PsycARTICLES; Science Direct; Blackwell Synergy; Ingenta Select; Wiley Interscience; Index to Theses and ZETOC. References of articles were checked. Inclusion criteria were Shiatsu or acupressure administered manually/bodily, published after January 1990. Two reviewers performed independent study selection and evaluation of study design and reporting, using standardised checklists (CONSORT, TREND, CASP and STRICTA).Searches identified 1714 publications. Final inclusions were 9 Shiatsu and 71 acupressure studies. A quarter were graded A (highest quality). Shiatsu studies comprised 1 RCT, three controlled non-randomised, one within-subjects, one observational and 3 uncontrolled studies investigating mental and physical health issues. Evidence was of insufficient quantity and quality. Acupressure studies included 2 meta-analyses, 6 systematic reviews and 39 RCTs. Strongest evidence was for pain (particularly dysmenorrhoea, lower back and labour), post-operative nausea and vomiting. Additionally quality evidence found improvements in sleep in institutionalised elderly. Variable/poor quality evidence existed for renal disease symptoms, dementia, stress, anxiety and respiratory conditions. Appraisal tools may be inappropriate for some study designs. Potential biases included focus on UK/USA databases, limited grey literature, and exclusion of qualitative and pre-1989 studies.Evidence is improving in quantity, quality and reporting, but more research is needed, particularly for Shiatsu, where evidence is poor. Acupressure may be beneficial for pain, nausea and vomiting and sleep.

J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2011 Sep; 4(3): 183-6
Bay R, Bay F

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases in the world. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of combined therapy using acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and transcendental meditation (TM) on the blood sugar (BS) level in comparison with placebo in type 2 diabetic patients. We used "convenience sampling" for selection of patients with type 2 diabetes; 20 patients were recruited. For collection of data, we used an identical quasi-experimental design called "nonequivalent control group." Therapy sessions each lasting 60-90 min were carried out on 10 successive days. We prescribed 2 capsules (containing 3g of wheat flour each) for each member of the placebo group (one for evening and one for morning). Pre-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests were conducted in a medical laboratory recognized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. Mean BS level in the post-tests and follow-up tests for the experimental group was reduced significantly in comparison with the pre-tests whereas in the placebo group no changes were observed. Combined therapy including acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and TM reduced BS of type 2 diabetic patients and was more effective than placebo therapy on this parameter.

Trials. 2011; 12: 216
Buselli P, Bosoni R, Busè G, Fasoli P, La Scala E, Mazzolari R, Zanetti F, Messina S

Low back pain (LBP) is a major health problem in modern society, with 70-85% of the population experiencing LBP at some time in their lives. Each year, 5-10% of the workforce misses work due to LBP, most for less than 7 days. Almost 10% of all patients are at risk of developing chronic pain and disability. Little clinical evidence is available for the majority of treatments used in LBP therapy. However, moderate evidence exists for interdisciplinary rehabilitation, exercise, acupuncture, spinal manipulation, and cognitive behavioral therapy for subacute and chronic LBP. The SMATH® system (system for automatic thermomechanic massage in health) is a new medical device (MD) that combines basic principles of mechanical massage, thermotherapy, acupressure, infrared therapy, and moxibustion. SMATH® is suitable for automatic multidisciplinary treatment on patients with non-specific sub-acute and chronic LBP.This paper describes the protocol for a double-blinded, sham-controlled, randomized, single-center short term clinical trial in patients with non-specific sub-acute and chronic LBP aged 18 to 70 years. The primary outcome will be the effectiveness of SMATH® versus sham therapy (medical device without active principles) determined by evaluating self perceived physical function with Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) scores after 4 weeks of treatment (end of treatment). Major secondary outcome will be effectiveness of SMATH® determined by evaluating self perceived physical function comparing RMDQ scores between end of treatment and baseline. The trial part of the study will take 7 months while observational follow-up will take 11 months. The sample size will be 72 participants (36 for each arm). The project has been approved by the Ethical Committee of Cremona Hospital, Italy on 29 November 2010.Compared to other medical specialties, physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) has not yet received the deserved recognition from clinicians and researchers in the scientific community, especially for medical devices. The best way to change this disadvantage is through well-conducted clinical research in sham-controlled randomized trials. Sham treatment groups are essential for improving the level of evidence-based practice in PRM. The present trial will counter the general lack of evidence concerning medical devices used in LBP therapy.ISRCTN: ISRCTN08714168.

Pflege Z. 2011 Sep; 64(9): 532-5
Wellens-Mücher D

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 714391
Gao XY, Wang L, Gaischek I, Michenthaler Y, Zhu B, Litscher G

Auricular acupuncture has been described in ancient China as well as Egypt, Greece, and Rome. At the end of the 1950s, ear acupuncture was further developed by the French physician Dr. Paul Nogier. The goal of this study was to develop a new system for ear acupressure (vibration stimulation) and to perform pilot investigations on the possible acute effects of vibration and manual ear acupressure on heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and the augmentation index (AIx) using new noninvasive recording methods. Investigations were performed in 14 healthy volunteers (mean age ± SD: 26.3 ± 4.3 years; 9 females, 5 males) before, during, and after acupressure vibration and manual acupressure stimulation at the "heart" auricular acupuncture point. The results showed a significant decrease in HR (P ≤ 0.001) and a significant increase in HRV total (P = 0.008) after manual ear acupressure. The PWV decreased markedly (yet insignificantly) whereas the AIx increased immediately after both methods of stimulation. The increase in the low-frequency band of HRV was mainly based on the intensification of the related mechanism of blood pressure regulation (10-s-rhythm). Further studies in Beijing using animal models and investigations in Graz using human subjects are already in progress.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011; 9: CD007849
Cheuk DK, Wong V, Chen WX

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairment in social interaction, impairment in communication and lack of flexibility of thought and behavior. Acupuncture, which involves the use of needles or pressure to specific points on the body, is used widely in Traditional Chinese Medicine and increasingly within a western medical paradigm. It has sometimes been used as a treatment aimed at improving ASD symptoms and outcomes, but its clinical effectiveness and safety has not been rigorously reviewed.To determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for people with ASD in improving core autistic features, as well as communication, cognition, overall functioning and quality of life, and to establish if it has any adverse effects.We searched the following databases on 30 September 2010: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library, 2010, Issue 3), MEDLINE (1950 to September 2010 Week 2), EMBASE (1980 to 2010 Week 38), PsycINFO, CINAHL, China Journal Full-text Database, China Master Theses Full-text Database, China Doctor Dissertation Full-text Database, China Proceedings of Conference Database, Index to Taiwan Periodical Literature System, metaRegister of Controlled Trials and the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry. We also searched AMED (26 February 2009) and Dissertation Abstracts International (3 March 2009), but these were no longer available to the authors or editorial base at the date of the most recent search. TCMLARS (Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System) was last searched on 3 March 2009.We included randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials. We included studies comparing an acupuncture group with at least one control group that used no treatment, placebo or sham acupuncture treatment in people with ASD. We excluded trials that compared different forms of acupuncture or compared acupuncture with another treatment.Two review authors independently extracted trial data and assessed the risk of bias in the trials. We used relative risk (RR) for dichotomous data and mean difference (MD) for continuous data.We included 10 trials that involved 390 children with ASD. The age range was three to 18 years and the treatment duration ranged from four weeks to nine months. The studies were carried out in Hong Kong, mainland China and Egypt.Two trials compared needle acupuncture with sham acupuncture and found no difference in the primary outcome of core autistic features (RFRLRS total score: MD 0.09; 95% CI -0.03 to 0.21, P = 0.16), although results suggested needle acupuncture might be associated with improvement in some aspects of the secondary outcomes of communication and linguistic ability, cognitive function and global functioning.Six trials compared needle acupuncture plus conventional treatment with conventional treatment alone. The trials used different primary outcome measures and most could not demonstrate effectiveness of acupuncture in improving core autistic features in general, though one trial reported patients in the acupuncture group were more likely to have improvement on the Autism Behavior Checklist (RR 1.53; 95% CI 1.09 to 2.16, P = 0.02) and had slightly better post-treatment total scores (MD -5.53; 95% CI -10.76 to -0.31, P = 0.04). There was no evidence that acupuncture was effective for the secondary outcome of communication and linguistic ability, though there seemed to be some benefit for the secondary outcomes of cognitive function and global functioning.Two trials compared acupressure plus conventional treatment with conventional treatment alone and did not report on the primary outcome. Individual study results suggested there may be some benefit from acupressure for certain aspects of the secondary outcomes of communication and linguistic ability, cognitive function and global functioning.Four trials reported some adverse effects, though there was little quantitative information, and at times both intervention and control groups experienced them. Adverse effects noted included bleeding, crying due to fear or pain, irritability, sleep disturbance and increased hyperactivity. None of the trials reported on quality of life.There are a number of problems with the evidence base: the trials were few in number and included only children; six of the trials were at high risk of bias; they were heterogeneous in terms of participants and intervention; they were of short duration and follow-up; they reported inconsistent and imprecise results, and, due to carrying out large numbers of analyses, they were at risk of false positivity.Current evidence does not support the use of acupuncture for treatment of ASD. There is no conclusive evidence that acupuncture is effective for treatment of ASD in children and no RCTs have been carried out with adults. Further high quality trials of larger size and longer follow-up are needed.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011; 9: CD007842
Wei ML, Liu JP, Li N, Liu M

Myopia (near-sightedness or short-sightedness) is one of the three commonly detected refractive (focusing) errors. Acupuncture is the stimulation of acupuncture points by various methods including needle insertion and acupressure. It is often used by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to treat myopia in children.To assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in slowing the progression of myopia in children and adolescents.We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 7), MEDLINE (January 1950 to July 2011), EMBASE (January 1980 to July 2011), the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED) (January 1985 to July 2011), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database (LILACS) (January 1982 to July 2011), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrial.gov), the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (The first issue to August 2010), the Chinese Biological Medicine Database (CBM) (1978 to April 2011), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (1994 to April 2011) and VIP (1989 to April 2011). There were no date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, LILACS, mRCT and ClinicalTrials.gov were last searched on 9 July 2011. NCCAM was searched up to August 2010 and CBM, CNKI, and VIP were last searched on 6 April 2011.We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included any type of acupuncture treatment for myopia in children and adolescents.Two authors independently evaluated the search results according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two authors extracted and assessed data independently. We contacted the study investigator for missing data.We included two RCTs conducted in Taiwan with a total of 131 participants. We did not perform a meta-analysis as the trials were assessing different outcomes. Neither trial met our pre-defined primary outcome criteria of myopia progression defined as one diopter mean change. Only one trial reported the changes of axial length without non-significant difference among groups and both trials reported that several children experienced mild pain during acupuncture stimulation.Two trials are included in this review but no conclusions can be drawn for the benefit of co-acupressure for slowing progress of myopia in children. Further evidence in the form of RCTs are needed before any recommendations can be made for the use of acupuncture treatment in clinical use. These trials should compare acupuncture to placebo and have large sample sizes. Other types of acupuncture (such as auricular acupuncture) should be explored further as well as compliance with treatment for at least six months or longer. Axial length elongation of the eye should be investigated for at least one year. The potential to reduce/eliminate pain from acupuncture experienced by children should also be reviewed.

Ann Intern Med. 2011 Aug 16; 155(4): 234-45
Abou-Setta AM, Beaupre LA, Rashiq S, Dryden DM, Hamm MP, Sadowski CA, Menon MR, Majumdar SR, Wilson DM, Karkhaneh M, Mousavi SS, Wong K, Tjosvold L, Jones CA

Pain management is integral to the management of hip fracture.To review the benefits and harms of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions for managing pain after hip fracture.25 electronic databases (January 1990 to December 2010), gray literature, trial registries, and reference lists, with no language restrictions.Multiple reviewers independently and in duplicate screened 9357 citations to identify randomized, controlled trials (RCTs); nonrandomized, controlled trials (non-RCTs); and cohort studies of pain management techniques in older adults after acute hip fracture.Independent, duplicate data extraction and quality assessment were conducted, with discrepancies resolved by consensus or a third reviewer. Data extracted included study characteristics, inclusion and exclusion criteria, participant characteristics, interventions, and outcomes.83 unique studies (64 RCTs, 5 non-RCTs, and 14 cohort studies) were included that addressed nerve blockade (n = 32), spinal anesthesia (n = 30), systemic analgesia (n = 3), traction (n = 11), multimodal pain management (n = 2), neurostimulation (n = 2), rehabilitation (n = 1), and complementary and alternative medicine (n = 2). Overall, moderate evidence suggests that nerve blockades are effective for relieving acute pain and reducing delirium. Low-level evidence suggests that preoperative traction does not reduce acute pain. Evidence was insufficient on the benefits and harms of most interventions, including spinal anesthesia, systemic analgesia, multimodal pain management, acupressure, relaxation therapy, transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation, and physical therapy regimens, in managing acute pain.No studies evaluated outcomes of chronic pain or exclusively examined participants from nursing homes or with cognitive impairment. Systemic analgesics (narcotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) were understudied during the search period.Nerve blockade seems to be effective in reducing acute pain after hip fracture. Sparse data preclude firm conclusions about the relative benefits or harms of many other pain management interventions for patients with hip fracture.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep; 17(9): 809-15
Duncan AD, Liechty JM, Miller C, Chinoy G, Ricciardi R

The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility of a weekly on-site complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) wellness clinic for staff at a military hospital, and to describe employees' perceptions of program effectiveness.The study setting was the Restore & Renew(®) Wellness Clinic at a United States Department of Defense hospital.The subjects were hospital nurses, physicians, clinicians, support staff, and administrators.The walk-in wellness clinic was open 8:00 am-2:00 pm 1 day a week. Participants selected one or more modalities each visit: ear acupuncture, clinical acupressure, and Zero Balancing.(®)A self-report survey was done after each clinic visit to evaluate clinic features and perceived impact on stress-related symptoms, compassion for patients, sleep, and workplace or personal relationships.Surveys completed after first-time and repeat visits (n=2,756 surveys) indicated that most participants agreed or strongly agreed they felt more relaxed after sessions (97.9%), less stress (94.5%), more energy (84.3%), and less pain (78.8%). Ninety-seven percent (97%) would recommend it to a co-worker. Among surveys completed after five or more visits, more than half (59%-85%) strongly agreed experiencing increased compassion with patients, better sleep, improved mood, and more ease in relations with co-workers. Perceived benefits were sustained and enhanced by number of visits. The most frequently reported health habit changes were related to exercise, stress reduction, diet/nutrition, and weight loss.This evaluation suggests that a hospital-based wellness clinic based on CAM principles and modalities is feasible, well-utilized, and perceived by most participants to have positive health benefits related to stress reduction at work, improved mood and sleep, and lifestyle.

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2011 Jul; 31(7): 595-8
Wang YM, Wang QY, Zhang J, Guo YL

To observe the differences of therapeutic effect of acupoint pressing, Nitroglycerin and Suxiaojiuxin pill on angina pectoris (AP) due to coronary heart disease (CHD).One hundred and six ty-eight patients with AP due to CHD were randomly divided into an acupoint pressing group (n = 58), a Nitro glycerin group (n = 56) and a Suxiaojiuxin pill group (n = 54) and were treated with acupoint pressing at Danzhong (CV 17) for 5-10 minutes, sublingual administration of Nitroglycerin and sublingual administration of Suxiaojiuxin pill, respectively. Symptoms, improvements in ECG, the time of producing effectiveness and adverse effects in all the groups were observed.The total effective rate and the effective rate of ECG were 93.1% (54/58) and 86.2% (50/58) in the acupoint pressing group respectively, 92.9% (52/56) and 85.7% (48/56) in the Nitroglycerin group, and 87.0% (47/54) and 75.9% (41/54) in the Suxiaojiuxin pill group, with no significant differences among the three groups (all P > 0.05). The average time of producing effectiveness was (1.67 +/- 2.45) min in the acupoint pressing group which was shorter than (2.89 +/- 2.64) min in the Nitroglycerin group and (3.75 +/- 2.99) min in the Suxiaojiuxin pill group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). During the treatment, there were no adverse effects in the acupoint pressing group, which less than 19 cases in the Nitroglycerin group and 12 cases in the Suxiaojiuxin pill group (both P < 0.05).Acupoint pressing can significantly improve symptoms of AP patients with a similar therapeutic effect to Nitroglycerin and Suxiaojiuxin pill, but it has more rapid therapeutic effect without adverse effects.

J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2011 Oct; 21(5): 868-76
Ryait HS, Arora AS, Agarwal R

Surface electromyography signals (SEMG) are the most common form of non-invasive-measurement of muscle activities. To acquire proper SEMG for particular limb function, the placement of electrodes on the skin over respective active group of muscles becomes very important. Measurement of SEMG depends on a number of factors/parameters like amplitude, time and frequency domain properties. In the present investigation, analysis was carried firstly; to study the grip force vs. SEMG parameters at acupressure points on arm, using single channel approach. At all the selected acupressure points a linear increment of SEMG was observed. Secondly; to discriminate four elbow movements from different locations on arm using two channel approach with single parameter. The parameter for the analysis chosen was the root of mean of square (RMS) value of SEMG. Further; principal component analysis was used to verify the elbow movement discrimination. Extension and supination were the two operations which were observed to be easy to realize by prosthetic devices. The selection of these locations was done on the basis of acupressure points and anatomy of elbow. Matlab-softscope was used for acquiring the SEMG from line-in input port of PC-sound card. This study will also be helpful for the researchers in understanding the behavior of SEMG for elbow movement in development of prosthetic or exoskeleton devices.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011; 2011: 591868
Togo T, Urata S, Sawazaki K, Sakuraba H, Ishida T, Yokoyama K

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have been provided at hospitals along with conventional medicine in industrialized nations. Previous studies conducted in Japan revealed high proportion of Japanese had experience of using CAM, but failed to discuss how it should be provided. The present study aims to clarify the demand for CAM practice at hospitals in Japan. A questionnaire consisting of 41 questions was mailed to 10 000 adults randomly selected from the electoral roll of Mie prefecture, Japan in January 2007. The questionnaire asked the subjects about demand for CAM practice at hospitals, types of CAM therapy to be provided and associated reasons. Sociodemographic characteristics, perceived health status, experience and purpose of CAM use, and information resource for CAM were also surveyed. Completed answers were collected from 2824 (28.6%) respondents. Two thousand and nineteen (71.5%) of the respondents demanded CAM practice at hospitals with the most likely reason of "patients can receive treatment under the guidance of a physicians". The three most popular CAM therapies were Kampo, acupressure/massage/Shiatsu and acupuncture/moxibustion. The demand was positively associated with gender, ages of 40-59 years, annual household incomes of 5-7 million yen, occupation of specialist and technical workers and sales workers and poor health status. Higher demand was observed among those who used both CAM and conventional medical therapies for curative purposes. In conclusion, Japanese show a high demand for CAM practice, hoping to use CAM for curative purposes with monitoring by physicians at hospitals.

BMC Neurosci. 2011; 12: 73
Witzel T, Napadow V, Kettner NW, Vangel MG, Hämäläinen MS, Dhond RP

FMRI studies focus on sub-cortical effects of acupuncture stimuli. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in primary somatosensory (S1) activity over the course of different types of acupuncture stimulation. We used whole head magnetoencephalography (MEG) to map S1 brain response during 15 minutes of electroacupuncture (EA) and acupressure (AP). We further assessed how brain response changed during the course of stimulation.Evoked brain response to EA differed from AP in its temporal dynamics by showing clear contralateral M20/M30 peaks while the latter demonstrated temporal dispersion. Both EA and AP demonstrated significantly decreased response amplitudes following five minutes of stimulation. However, the latency of these decreases were earlier in EA (~30 ms post-stimulus) than AP (> 100 ms). Time-frequency responses demonstrated early onset, event related synchronization (ERS), within the gamma band at ~70-130 ms and the theta band at ~50-200 ms post-stimulus. A prolonged event related desynchronization (ERD) of alpha and beta power occurred at ~100-300 ms post-stimulus. There was decreased beta ERD at ~100-300 ms over the course of EA, but not AP.Both EA and AP demonstrated conditioning of SI response. In conjunction with their subcortical effects on endogenous pain regulation, these therapies show potential for affecting S1 processing and possibly altering maladaptive neuroplasticity. Thus, further investigation in neuropathic populations is needed.