Retinitis Pigmentosa May Respond to Acupuncture

Reprinted from Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion and as reported here. 

Mounting evidence suggests that acupuncture is an effective treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disorder that may to lead to blindness. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustionconcludes that acupuncture treatment protects the optic nerve from damage caused by intraocular pressure by alleviating stresses on retinal and optic nerve axonal ultrastructures.¹ The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine published that the use of Chinese medicine improved retinal cone activity for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, even in cases of advanced retinal degeneration. Using electroretinograms for the investigation, the study also concludes that, “TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) treatment could also enhance the bioactivity of (the) nerve network and therefore have a definite significance in retarding the progression of disease and keeping the central vision.”² In another study, injections of She Xiang into acupuncture points UB18 and UB23 helped patients with retinitis pigmentosa. The study concludes that injection of She Xiang into Ganshu (UB18) and Shenshu (UB23) “can improve effectively the function and metabolism of optic cells, promote blood circulation of the retina, enhance the visual acuity, and protect the central vision for the patient of retinitis pigmentosa.”³ Yet another study of retinitis pigmentosa patients receiving acupuncture (ranging from ages 7 – 75 years) showed significant improvement and a halting of deterioration of the visual field.⁴

 We also treat many vision problems related to stroke, infection, trauma, glaucoma, and other forms of retinitis.

References:
1 Sun He , Zhang Hu. The Protective Effect of Acupuncture Treatment on Retinal and Optic Nerve Axonal Ultrastructure in Rabbit Eyes with Chronic Elevated IOP. Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion. 2010-05.
2 Wu Xing-Wei; Tang You-zhi. Study on Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa with Traditional Chinese Medicine by Flicker Electroretinogram. CHINESE JOURNAL OF INTEGRATED TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE. 1996-06.
3 Hao Xiaobo, Wang Guihong, Peng Changxin, et al. (Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of TCM, Nanning 530023, China). Study on treatment of retinitis pigmentosa with acupoint injection of Shexiang Injection. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. 2003-4.
4 Reddy NS, Fouzdar NM. Role of acupuncture in the treatment of `Incurable' retinal diseases. Indian J Ophthalmol 1983;31:1043-6.
5 Wu Xing-Wei; Tang You-zhi. Study on Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa with Traditional Chinese Medicine by Flicker Electroretinogram. CHINESE JOURNAL OF INTEGRATED TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE. 1996-06.

Psoriasis and Chinese Medicine

<the beginning of a rough draft on the treatment of various forms of psoriasis with Chinese medicine. Please check back often as this article will be enlarged regularly>

 Image courtesy of flickr from: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1016/1133597255_bd427077b5.jpg 

Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological issue which presents as a thick white, silver or red patches of skin, often with dramatic flaking. It is the result of inappropriately rapidly growing skin cells which form plaques. These plaques may occur anywhere on the body, but tend to congregate on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet or lower back. The disorder usually spares the face itself, though we do occasionally see facial psoriasis in the clinic.

The intensity of psoriasis is highly variable, ranging from small, isolated patches, to dramatic full body involvement. There are forms of psoriasis, called psoriatic arthritis, which cause the joints to become involved. This may also cause finger and toenails to alter their color and texture, frequently separating from the nailbed.

While the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, from a Western medical perspective it is thought to result from an immune system overreaction which triggers localized inflammation. Few dermatologists would hesitate to acknowledge that the state of their knowledge on psoriasis is far from complete. What is known is that the disorder can run in families, may be triggered by stress, climate, pharmaceutical use, or foods and that smoking is often an aggravating factor. 

Happily Chinese medicine can be exceptionally useful in treating this set of disorders.

Types of psoriasis commonly seen in our clinic:

• Patch/Plaque Psoriasis
• Scalp Psoriasis 
• Psoriasis of the Scalp
• Pompholyx Psoriasis
• Pustular Psoriasis
• Psoriatic Psoriasis

Results depend a great deal upon the intensity of the psoriasis, the amount of the body affected and the duration of the problem. People usually begin to see some results within 4-6 weeks of beginning therapy. This improvement will usually continue until we have achieved the return of normal skin. 

Research/Articles:

Successful Treatment of Psoriasis by Chinese Medicine, Arch Dermatol. 2008 Nov;144(11):1457-64.

Clinical assessment of patients with recalcitrant, plaque type psoriasis in a randomized trial, using a Chinese herbal formula. 

Results: Significant reductions in the sum of scaling, erythema, and induration scores (P < .001) (mean score, 6.3 after Qing Dai  treatment vs 12.8 in control subjects) and plaque area percentage (P 
< .001) (mean percentage, 38.5% after Qing Dai  treatment vs 90% in controls) were achieved with topical application of Qing Dai  ointment. Approximately 31 of 42 patients (74%) experienced clearance or near clearance of their psoriasis in the Qing Dai ointment-treated lesion.

Conclusion: The Chinese herbal formula was a safe, and effective therapy for plaque-type psoriasis.

Acupuncture Treatment for Psoriasis: a Retrospective Case Report. Acupunct Electrother Res. 1992 Jul-Sep;17(3):195-208.

We treated 61 cases of psoriasis with acupuncture, including 25 patients with complications of joint involvement and two cases with scleroderma additionally. All of the patients had failed to respond to their prior conventional western medical management. 25 patients were males and 36 were females. Their ages ranged from 22 to 84 years, with an average of about 52 years. There was no significant difference of the average ages between the sexes. Most of them (about 61%) had quite extensive involvement of the body. The average of duration of their illness was over 16 years, ranging from two to 65 years. They received an average of about nine sessions of acupuncture treatment, ranging from one to 15. Almost one third (19) of them had eleven to thirteen sessions. With the acupuncture treatment, about one-half (30) of the 61 patients had complete or almost complete clearance of the skin lesions. About a quarter (14 patients) of them had a clearance of about two thirds of the skin lesions. Eight of them had a clearance of one third of the skin lesions. Nine patients had minimal or no improvement. Our experience indicates that acupuncture is induced an effective therapeutic modality for psoriasis, particularly when the western medical management is unsuccessful. We speculated about the possible involvement of the cutaneous reticuloendothelial system in the clearance of the skin lesions.

Chinese Medicine Potentially Treatment for Liver Fibrosis

A 2009 study which assessed Chinese medical treatment for liver fibrosis concluded that, "Evidence indicates that some Chinese medicines are clinically effective in treating liver fibrosis."

Fibrosis is the replacement of healthy liver tissue with scar tissue and nodules which gradually force a decline in liver function. It is usually caused by chronic viral infections or chemical (often pharmaceutical) insult to the organ itself. 

This type of liver problem leads to a variety of frequently life threatening issues including ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen) and decreased immune function leading to an increased chance of infection.

Cirrhosis is very difficult to treat by standard methods and the western medical strategy usually involves trying to prevent complications and/or removing the cause of the scarring, if caused by a pharmacological agent. If the disease becomes advanced the patient may be considered for a liver transplant.

At our clinic we have had notable success, particularly with patients who, by necessity, are on medications which are creating the liver scarring; or are suffering with a chronic hepatitis C infection. This study backs up our experience quite well.

Acupuncture Useful for Restoring Sense of Smell

The prestigious journal, Journal of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, published a study which deemed acupuncture to be very helpful in restoring a sense of smell which had been lost to viral infections. This certainly meshes with our experience. Acupuncturists see patients who have, not only lost a sense of smell from viral infections, but also trauma, stroke and other types of infections. It is, indeed a very helpful modality for such problems.

Using Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to Facilitate Weight Loss

Adipose cell as seen through a microscope

Acupuncturists throughout the world, though particularly in the West, are frequently asked whether we can be useful in helping our patients lose excess weight. Herein lies my attempt to answer this question in a fairly definitive way using my own experience in the clinic, as well as research which has been done in this area.

The individualized methods of diagnosis and treatment in Chinese medicine can be very helpful in encouraging the body to lose weight, particularly when combined with the client's own lifestyle changes of increased exercise and decreased caloric intake. In this sense we can act as a catalyst for the body's internal mechanism for restoring metabolic balance. While no substitute for exercise and a proper diet, Chinese medicine can dramatically assist those methods to help a patient realize their goals.

Research and Links

• A systematic review of more than 2,500 scientific studies on Chinese medicine (acupuncture and Chinese herbal formula) and weight loss came up with this consensus:

CHM [Chinese Herbal Medicine] and acupuncture were more effective than placebo or lifestyle modification in reducing body weight. They had a similar efficacy as the Western anti-obesity drugs but with fewer reported adverse effects.

• Acupuncture Today has a useful synopsis of the way in which acupuncturists conceptualize, diagnose and manage weight issues. It concludes,

There continues to be many different studies that have shown the efficacy of acupuncture and Chinese medicine for the use of weight loss. Although there are many studies, there still is a need for more research on obesity in the United States using acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine provide an alternative treatment to help control weight problems. Besides acupuncture and herbal medicine, individuals must also exercise and practice correct dietary guidelines. Acupuncture and herbal medicine combined with exercise and food therapy can greatly enhance the treatment of obesity and help individuals mange their weight. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is an effective treatment for overweight and obesity.

• Authors Yi Xiong et al., in the journal Si Chuan Zhong Yi (Sichuan CM), published a multi-year literature review on the acupuncture treatment of simple obesity. The article cites 16 Chinese articles published from 2004-2008 in which the consensus was that acupuncture can be very effective for weight loss.

• An interesting study, reprinted in Acupuncture Today shows a substantial difference between women treated with acupuncture and those who used standard weight loss methods in pounds lost.]
• Recently a Turkish study compared women receiving twice weekly acupuncture treatments for weight loss with a control group treated with sham (fake) acupuncture points (Readable here). The researchers found that,

Acupuncture was shown to decrease insulin and leptin levels and induce weight loss, as well as decreasing BMI. Between-group analyses also demonstrated increases in plasma ghrelin and cholecystokinin (CCK) levels in subjects who received acupuncture treatment compared with sham acupuncture.