10 acupuncture treatments of 25-minute duration over 5 consecutive weeks; 2 groups: minimal acupuncture group received acupuncture into very superficial levels and Chinese acupuncture group received acupuncture at true acupuncture site and depth.
Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Health Questionnaire 12
Participants receiving minimal acupuncture demonstrated statistically significant greater improvement in the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 psychological subscale compared with those receiving Chinese medical acupuncture in an intention-to-treat analysis (), with mean change in Chinese acupuncture group of 6.0 (SD 13.9) and in minimal acupuncture group of 23.0 (SD 21.0).
Minimal acupuncture resulted in greater improvement of Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 psychological subscale compared with Chinese medical acupuncture. No adverse effects noted.
From 7 to 28 treatments over a period of 3 months.
QoL (functional improvement and improved sensation of “well-being”)
Improvements noted in spasticity in 1 patient (ambulatory). No statistical analysis shown.
After reviewing 8 patients, they concluded that there is no evidence that acupuncture has any permanent effect on multiple sclerosis. In some patients there is a reported transient functional improvement and a feeling of well-being.
Once a week for 10 weeks and then once a month for 6 sessions. Chinese scalp areas were motor, sensory, foot motor and sensory, balance, hearing, dizziness, and tremor area. Ear point was shen men.
QoL (improvement in his dizziness, balance, stiffness, and weakness in his legs)
Scalp acupuncture in this patient has proven to have superior success in treating MS and other central nervous system damage as compared to other acupuncture modalities.
Future study is needed to investigate the mechanisms underlying acupuncture’s effect on the central nervous system dysfunctions in patients with MS.
Electroacupuncture to posterior border of tibia and medial edge of foot bilaterally for 30 minutes 1x/week for 10 weeks.
Recorded daytime leakage episodes, urge frequency, and daytime and nocturnal voiding frequency over 3 days. Also registered a voiding diary for 3 days and completed the validated incontinence-specific QoL (I-QoL) questionnaire before and at end of treatment
Mean urge frequency decreased significantly by −2.21 from 3.89 to 1.68 times a day ( = 0.030). Mean number of daytime leaking episodes by −0.78 from 1.18 to 0.40 ( = 0.041) of the decrease in mean urge frequency was in the same range as that seen in MS patients treated with tolterodine. After EA mean values for total I-QoL and all three subscores were higher than at baseline (0.05 << 0.10). The mean difference was comparable with that of PTNS.
Electroacupuncture may provide a useful role in treatment. Results justify a larger, randomized study.
30 minutes of electroacupuncture (either true or sham) once a week for six consecutive weeks.
Disability: EDSS, Pain: VAS, QoL: functional assessment of MS
Electroacupuncture improved various aspects of QoL, including reduction in pain and depression. Self-report scales were more sensitive to improvement than clinical measures. Evaluated using SAS system, Mann-Whitney U test, and ANOVA.
Evidence that electroacupuncture can significantly improve QoL of this population suggests that routine use of a self-report scale evaluating QoL should be included in regular clinical evaluations in order to detect change more accurately.
20-minute sessions 1x/week for 7 weeks. Points located on both upper and lower limbs, along the spleen, stomach, gallbladder, kidney, urinary bladder, and large intestine.
Improvements in all fatigue measures, and no statistical analysis was done.
Subjectively, subject reported an increase in energy levels, the ability to take on more activities, being more able to be part of conversations, and being able to socialize more frequently.
Total of 12 sessions of 30-minute duration of acupuncture were conducted every other day for 4 weeks.
Fatigue: FSS
5/20 (25%) demonstrated decreased FSS scores to <30 after 12 acupuncture sessions. Mean reduction of all 20 patients: 20.6 ± 7.2.
Acupuncture appears to be associated with benefits for a portion of patients with fatigue who are resistant to conventional drugs, such as Amantadine, and justifies further research.
Intramuscular stimulation with electroacupuncture in tibialis anterior and flexor hallucis longus bilaterally. Duration was 30 min weekly for 4 weeks and then two more fortnightly sessions.
Descriptive subjective reports only. Reported immediate change of sensation of his right leg and decreased feeling of “heaviness.” Reported improved coordination and fewer slips and trips. Stated that effects lasted for 8 months
Nonspecific narrative of improvements in gait and balance.
Researchers reported an improvement in overall attitude towards the illness. Following the study, this subject was able to take up regular exercise and reported an increase in his “sense of control” over his life.
In 2009, 4 long acupuncture needles were placed in medial and lateral borders of the radius near the wrist for 30 min. In 2011 PEA was added (PEA levels were adjusted a few times, depending on pain scale).
QoL and pain levels were monitored. 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)
Pain reduction after a multimodal approach.
PEA reduces pain via the natural modulation pathways and acupuncture sessions can enhance the analgesic effects, when the analgesic response waivers.
Mean ODI before: 41.16 ± 3.74, after: 33.59 ± 5.14. Additionally, all 10 measures in ODI decreased significantly after 6 months of treatment.
Fatigue and chronic pain are subjective and multifactorial. Further studies with larger sample sizes and adjustment for EDSS scores required before acupuncture can be suggested as a complementary treatment.
Electroacupuncture daily for 30 min for a period of 7, 14, and 21 days.
Spinal cord samples, lymphocyte cultures, intracellular and extracellular cytokine detection, and plasma and hypothalamus ACTH concentrations were all analyzed posthumously
Rats with EAE treated with electroacupuncture had decreased disease severity, inhibited T-cell proliferation, and improved CD4+ Th cell balance as well as higher in vivo ACTH concentrations compared to control group rats.
This is the first study to describe the physiological benefits of acupuncture on rat models.
Electroacupuncture (EA). EA was administered every other day for 26 days, starting from the third day after surgery. The intensity was adjusted to induce slight twitch of the hindlimbs, for 20 min in the EA treatment group. EA stimulation was performed at two acupoints in governor vessel: Jizhong (GV6) and Zhiyang (GV9).
(1) Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) level, (2) number of NG2 positive OPCs between neurofilament (NF) positive nerve fibres, (3) number of adenomatous polyposis coli- (APC-) positive oligodendrocytes of newly formed myelin, (4) behavioral tests, and (5) spinal cord evoked potential detection functional recovery
EA treatment can promote NT-3 expression, increase of the cell number and differentiation of endogenous OPCs and remyelination in the demyelinated spinal cord as well as the functional improvement of demyelinated spinal cord.
The results suggest that EA treatment could effectively promote the functional recovery after the demyelinating lesion. EA would be a new and safe therapeutic strategy for treatment of MS patients.
