Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effectiveness of dry needling of rectus abdominis trigger points for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea: a randomised parallel-group trial.
To compare the effectiveness of trigger point dry needling (TrP-DN) versus placebo needling, relative to an untreated control group, on pain and quality of life in primary dysmenorrhoea. ⋯ This trial suggests that a single session of TrP-DN of the rectus abdominis combined with stretching was more effective than placebo needling and stretching alone at reducing pain and the amount of medication used in primary dysmenorrhoea.
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Meta Analysis
Warm needle acupuncture in primary osteoporosis management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Warm needle acupuncture (WNA) is commonly used in primary osteoporosis (OP) management in China. The evidence of its effectiveness needs to be systematically reviewed. ⋯ WNA may have beneficial effects on BMD and VAS scores of patients with primary OP. However, all included trials were at high risk of bias and of low quality. Further rigorous studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of WNA for primary OP treatment.
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Clinical Trial
Therapeutic effects of dry needling in patients with upper trapezius myofascial trigger points.
Active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are major pain generators in myofascial pain syndrome. Dry needling (DN) is an effective method for the treatment of MTrPs. ⋯ The results of this study showed that one session of DN targeting active MTrPs appears to reduce hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and irritability of the motor endplate. DN seems effective at improving symptoms and deactivating active MTrPs, although further research is needed.
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Treatment-related joint pain affects almost half of all women with breast cancer using aromatase inhibitors and is a major reason for terminating treatment. Although acupuncture is becoming an increasingly popular, evidence-based option for treating pain, little is known about the potential influence of psychological factors on acupuncture use. ⋯ High levels of pain catastrophising, and specifically the processes of rumination and magnification, were associated with greater acupuncture use. We believe this could have important implications for understanding which population is more likely to seek acupuncture treatment and how this alternative therapy could be better targeted to these patients.