Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, affects nearly 10 million children and more than 16 million adults in the U.S. Itchy skin is one of the hallmark symptoms of this frustrating, often-chronic condition. Topical anti-inflammatories are the standard of care; but what about acupuncture?
A randomized, three-armed, controlled clinical trial published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology (full text here) divided patients into three groups: acupuncture, osteopathic care or no intervention. All patients (ages 18-65) had "average reported itching severity of the skin between 40 and 80 mm on a visual analogue scale" at baseline (100 mm = maximum imaginable itching) – as well as an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. (Dermatitis in dementia patients been associated in previous studies.)
Acupuncture patients "received eight semistandardized treatments of 30 minutes at one- to two-week intervals. The obligatory ACU points large intestine channels 4 and 11 (bilaterally) and spleen channels 6 and 10 (uni- or bilaterally) were supplemented by optional points, including ear acupuncture."
Osteopathic medicine patients received five 45-minute semistandardized sessions (at approximately two-week intervals), with obligatory treatment locations including the cervical and thoracic columns, ribs, diaphragm, lungs, intestines, cranial bones and cranial fasciae.
Patients in all three comparison groups were able to supplement their care as necessary with topical corticosteroids and emollients.
Acupuncture achieved a clinically relevant improvement in itching severity at 12 weeks compared to both osteopathic intervention and no intervention: VAS 27.9 mm vs. 35.0 mm vs. 42.3 mm, respectively; as well as topical corticosteroid use compared to controls (2.3 vs. 4.3; 1.9 in the osteopathic medicine group).
Over my almost 30 years in clinical practice, I have used Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang extensively for a wide array of clinical presentations ranging from chronic headaches to anxiety, insomnia, and prescription drug withdrawal symptoms if these situations fit the appropriate patterns – all with extremely positive clinical outcomes.
There’s no doubt that many of your patients visit your practice because they are in pain. And there’s certainly no doubt that curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) can be incredibly effective in stopping that pain, whether due to chronic conditions like arthritis or acute pain from intensive workouts. But your patients may also benefit from curcumin for other reasons.
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Low back pain is defined as pain the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), and it can be acute or chronic, localized or radiating. It is a common ailment for adults in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence as high as 65-80%. Whether or not an MRI is available to provide definitive knowledge of a structural issue, acupuncture can be an effective treatment for low back pain.
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