RESUMEN
AIM: The aim of this study was to verify in bruxism patients the possible efficacy of auricular stimulation in reducing the hypertonicity of some masticatory muscles. METHODS: Forty-three bruxism patients were randomly allocated to 3 groups: acupuncture, needle contact for 10 seconds, no treatment (control). Helkimo's clinical dysfunction index (CDI) and anamnestic dysfunction index (ADI) were used to assess the functional state of the masticatory system. The resting electrical activity of the anterior temporalis (AT), masseter (MM), digastric (DA) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles was measured, according to Jankelson, with surface electrodes at baseline, after stimulation and continually for 30 minutes (120 measurements in total). The electromyographical variations in the 3 groups were studied with t test for independent samples. RESULTS: Acupuncture and needle contact were superior to control in reducing the muscle hypertonicity of all muscles except SCM. In the comparison between acupuncture and needle contact the former showed better results only for the right TA and left DA (p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: In this study it was possible to measure the efficacy of the stimulation of only one point or area, which is an ideal model for research in acupuncture. The auricular area we chose for stimulation was never used before for the purpose of relaxing masticatory muscles. Acupuncture and needle contact for 10 seconds showed similar effects.
Asunto(s)
Acupuntura Auricular , Bruxismo/terapia , Músculos Masticadores/fisiopatología , Adulto , Bruxismo/diagnóstico , Bruxismo/fisiopatología , Electromiografía , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Músculo Masetero/fisiopatología , Hipertonía Muscular/fisiopatología , Músculo Temporal/fisiopatología , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To describe in detail the questions and deliberations leading to the development of a methodologically rigorous protocol to test the effectiveness of acupuncture on painful shoulder. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial using three groups, including one control group. SETTINGS/LOCATION: A hospital in the north of Italy treating at least 8-10 painful shoulders a day, with physician/acupuncturists, physiotherapists, and assessors available to participate in the study. SUBJECTS: Sixty patients with monolateral painful shoulder. A list of exclusion criteria is given. INTERVENTIONS: Acupuncture + mobilization; mobilization alone (control); ear acupuncture + mobilization. OUTCOME MEASURES: Severity of pain, scored on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and on the McGill Pain Questionnaire and restriction of range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder joint. Voluntary use of pain medication, Tenoxicam 20 mg, was added to the protocol. RESULTS: The research team developed a protocol and methodology that avoids the common flaws and difficulties of previous clinical trials on acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians and acupuncture specialists will benefit from the advice and support of a project group consisting of experienced clinicians, researchers, and statisticians when designing and preparing clinical trials on acupuncture and other complementary and alternative therapies.
Asunto(s)
Terapia por Acupuntura , Manejo del Dolor , Articulación del Hombro , Protocolos Clínicos , Humanos , Cooperación Internacional , Italia , Modalidades de Fisioterapia , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
An increase in energy intake often occurs at weaning and this may depend on the current practice of offering energy-dense foods ad libitum. In two-year-old lean infants suffering from chronic non-specific diarrhoea (CNSD), the offering of food was evaluated by caregivers at every meal on the basis of food need expressions and non-starchy vegetable acceptance, taking into account the maintenance of good temper and normal activity between meals. The purpose was to avoid diarrhoea recurrence. This form of regulation was continued in a prospective, controlled, randomized investigation to explore: (i) familial pre-determination of growth and (ii) the existence of an 'unnecessary' fraction of energy intake, i.e. a fraction which may habitually be excluded while still maintaining the same normal intermeal behaviour, intellectual and physical achievements, growth, skinfold thicknesses and blood parameters. Seven-day intake home diaries and clinical assessments were performed every 6 to 12 months. Growth records were investigated in siblings. Eighty-two of 91 experimental subjects and 32 of 41 randomized ones in the control group were followed for up to four years. The control group maintained a significantly higher (15-30%) energy intake than the experimental children, without any fattening or growth acceleration, or any improved results in inter-meal behaviour, intellectual and physical achievements or blood parameters for four years. The normal median weight was reached in the experimental and control children in the sixth year of life and in the siblings in the fourth year of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Asunto(s)
Diarrea Infantil/metabolismo , Ingestión de Energía , Crecimiento , Antropometría , Preescolar , Enfermedad Crónica , Diarrea Infantil/dietoterapia , Registros de Dieta , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Crecimiento/genética , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Cooperación del Paciente , Estudios Prospectivos , Grosor de los Pliegues Cutáneos , Verduras , Aumento de PesoRESUMEN
A group of 50 patients with possible psychosomatic disorders was examined with five right-left preference tests: Oldfield's Handedness Inventory, and Coren and Porac's preference tests for hand, foot, eye and ear. The patients were sorted into "complete right" (consistent answers) and "incomplete right" (having answered "left" to at least one question) groups for each of these different tests. The sensitization of the left ear, particularly of the Sanjiao or Triple Heater area, is higher in the complete right than in the incomplete right group. The side to treat with Acupuncture is important for diagnosis and therapy.
Asunto(s)
Puntos de Acupuntura , Terapia por Acupuntura , Oído , Lateralidad Funcional , Medicina Psicosomática/métodos , Oído/anatomía & histología , Humanos , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/terapia , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
A group of 50 patients with possible psychosomatic disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems were treated with Ear acupuncture. Together with a control group of 20 symptomless volunteers they received 4 weekly treatments and a final check of the therapy after 6 weeks. All subjects were examined with the MMPI test, Paykel's scale for stressful life events, and with the SRT scale (Symptom Rating Test) for measuring at each treatment the variations of anxiety, depression and somatisation levels. The results show a similar trend of response to Acupuncture in both groups, which was significantly more pronounced in the stress group for the reduction of the SRT score and the number of Ear acupuncture points. The outer ear was sensitized by stress response in certain recurrent areas, especially of the cavum conchae. The area with the highest relative density of Ear acupoints was the Sanjiao or Triple Heater area.
Asunto(s)
Puntos de Acupuntura , Terapia por Acupuntura , Oído Externo , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/terapia , Adulto , Ansiedad/psicología , Ansiedad/terapia , Depresión/psicología , Depresión/terapia , Oído Externo/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Acontecimientos que Cambian la Vida , Masculino , Personalidad , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/fisiopatología , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/psicología , Umbral Sensorial/fisiología , Trastornos Somatomorfos/psicología , Trastornos Somatomorfos/terapia , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Estrés Psicológico/terapiaRESUMEN
Toddler's diarrhea may be an allergic disease and its recurrences can be avoided with education to "internal spontaneity" in feeding, i.e., by education to a limited and reproducible decrease in eating incentives at the onset of meals. Serum IgE was thus investigated in 16 experimental children in a random comparison with 16 controls, all aged 1 to 4 years, before and after seven months' dietary treatment. Compliance was measured with a seven-day written diary, while serum IgE was measured by PRIST, before and after dietary treatment. A 21% decrease in energy intake (p less than 0.05) and about five times increase in fruit and nonstarchy vegetable intake amount was seen in treated children. A decrease in serum IgE level of 13.9 +/- 43.5 U/ml was found in the "internal spontaneity" group, as opposed to an increase of 33.2 +/- 50.5 U/ml in the control one (p less than 0.01). The differences between examinations were significantly correlated to the increase in NSV acceptance in all children plotted together (r = .51, p less than 0.005). The overall NSV effect on the changes of the 2 muscle areas, 2 symptoms, and 2 percent growth, 15 nutritional, 5 immune and 3 hepatic indices was significant with MANOVA (p less than 0.01). The education to "internal spontaneity" may be a useful tool for prevention of overeating, diarrhea recurrences and IgE increase in the second/third year of life.
Asunto(s)
Diarrea/dietoterapia , Metabolismo Energético/fisiología , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/dietoterapia , Inmunoglobulina E/metabolismo , Apetito/fisiología , Preescolar , Diarrea/inmunología , Ingestión de Energía/fisiología , Conducta Alimentaria/fisiología , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/inmunología , Humanos , Hambre/fisiología , Lactante , VerdurasRESUMEN
The diagonal ear-lobe crease, detectable especially after the age of 40, is still accepted as a sign of coronary heart disease risk. In the literature some authors report an association between anxiety and coronary heart disease. In our work a group of 143 patients with ear-lobe crease showed - in both sexes and in all examined decades (5th, 6th, 7th) - higher levels of anxiety than in the control group. The possible significance of the crease has been considered on the grounds of present knowledge of ear-acupuncture and the somatotopic mapping of CNS on the ear-lobe.