Loss of muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) is a progressive, natural part of the aging process beginning as early as the third decade of life. If not managed appropriately, it can ultimately lead to frailty and increase the risk of suffering a fall / fracture.
New research suggests acupuncture - specifically electroacupuncture - may be an important tool to help mitigate age-related muscle loss. The clinical trial involved 60 patients with sarcopenia who were randomized into two equal groups, with 30 patients receiving electroacupuncture and nutritional supplementation, and 30 patients receiving nutritional supplementation only (the control group).
All 60 patients had been admitted to the Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between April 2022 and September 2022, with admission criteria based on the 2014 Consensus Report of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia.
In the integrated EA group, patients received 24 electroacupuncture treatments over a 12-week period, with each session featuring needling at eight acupoints: LI 4, LI 11, LI 14, ST 36, GB 34, SP 6, ST 31, and ST 34. Needle retention time was 30 minutes per session.
While both groups showed improvement after the end of the treatment period (increases in skeletal muscle mass index and grip strength, and reduction in six-meter walking time), more significant improvements were noted in the integrated EA treatment group.
Editor’s Note: Our article is based on an English-translation summary by HealthCMi, which references the study as: Ma Sufan, Lv Wanyong. Electroacupuncture at acupoints of yangming meridians for sarcopenia: a randomized controlled trial. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Aug. 2, 2023.
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