Reduction in Stress
- Inhibitory effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the pressor response induced by exercise stress
- Effects of cerebral electrical stimulation on alcoholism: a pilot study
- Effects of the electrical stimulation of myofascial trigger points with tension headache
- An introduction to sequential electric acupuncture (SEA) in the treatment of stress related physical and mental disorders
1. Inhibitory effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the pressor response induced by exercise stress.
Li P, Ayannusi O, Reid C, Longhurst JC.
Dept. of Medicine, University of California, Irvine Medical Science I, C235, Irvine, CA 92697-4075, USA. pengli@uci.edu
We examined the effect of EA on the exercise stress-induced pressor response in healthy adult subjects of both sexes. Each subject was subjected to a bicycle exercise test using a ramp protocol once/week for three or four weeks. Subjects were asked to perform the following tests in random order: 1) a baseline exercise test without EA and 2) exercise after acupuncture at P 5-6, LI 4-L 7 and/or G 37-39 acupoints. Brachial systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean blood pressures (MBP), heart rate (HR) and the rate-pressure product (RPP, systolic BP x HR/100) were measured every three min, while a 12 lead ECG was monitored continuously. We observed increases in MBP, SBP, HR and RPP in all 17 subjects during exercise. In 12 of the 17 subjects (71 %), EA for 30 min before exercise, either at Jianshi-Neiguan acupoints (P 5-6) or Hegu-Lique acupoints (LI 4-L 7), led to an increase in maximal workload, and reduced peak SBP, MBP and RPP responses to exercise; EA did not alter DBP or HR responses in these subjects. EA at control acupoints (Guangming-Xuanzhong acupoints, G 37-39) in five subjects did not alter the hemodynamic responses. Seven additional subjects were enrolled to study the effect of EA during a bicycle exercise test using a constant workload. The results were similar, in five of the seven subjects SBP, MBP and RPP after exercise were attenuated significantly by EA at P 5-6. We conclude that EA at specific acupoints improves exercise capacity and reduces the hemodynamic responses in approximately 70% of normal subjects.
2. Effects of cerebral electrical stimulation on alcoholism: a pilot study.
Padjen AL, Dongier M, Malec T.
Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Alcohol Research Program, Verdun, Que, Canada.
Cerebral electrical stimulation (CES), born from research on electroanesthesia in the seventies, consists of the application of a pulsating current of small intensity (usually less than 1 mA, and below the threshold of perception) through the skull, e.g., in daily 30-min sessions. Claims of biological effectiveness (neurochemical, hormonal and EEG changes, naloxone-reversible analgesia in rats, etc.) and of clinical effectiveness (anxiety, depression, cognitive functions in alcoholics) have often relied on poorly controlled data. A recent controlled study in the treatment of opiate withdrawal has been positive. The present double-blind controlled study compares active CES with sham stimulation in 64 alcohol-dependent males. Over 4 weeks, both treatment groups improved significantly in most aspects. In the active treatment group additional significant improvement was observed in week-end alcohol consumption, and in two psychological measures: depression and stress symptoms index, but not in general drinking behavior.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 7485809 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
3. Effects of the electrical stimulation of myofascial trigger points with tension headache.
Airaksinen O, Pontinen PJ.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kuopio University Central Hospital, Finland.
The effects of electrical stimulation by simple pocket size stimulator were evaluated on myofascial trigger points by pain threshold (PTH) algometry. The study consisted 14 patients with 76 treated trigger points in randomly selected double blind cross-over study protocol. The effects of 30 seconds stimulation increased the PTH values 0.58 kg/cm2 in study group, but only 0.13kg/cm2 in controls (p < 0.01). These results suggested that the stimulation had positive effects on myofascial trigger points, but these effects were seen only on the treated points.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
4. An introduction to sequential electric acupuncture (SEA) in the treatment of stress related physical and mental disorders.
Chen A.
Department of Anesthesiology, Wayne County General Hospital, Westland, Michigan.
A method of sequential electrical stimulation to certain acupuncture loci was found to be effective in the treatment of stress related physical and mental disorders. Recent research found that cerebral serotonin has anti-depressant and analgesic effects. It was reported that cerebral serotonin can be released by the stimulation of certain acupuncture loci. Omura reported that the stimulation of ST36 and GB20 increased intracephalic blood flow. Increasing intracephalic blood flow may indirectly increase the quantity of serotonin released. The release of serotonin can be enhanced further by sequential stimulation of these acupuncture loci. A marked degree of mental relaxation by SEA was shown in this study of 85 clinical cases of chronic physical disorders, e.g. intractable pain, headache, with most disorders complicated by reactive depression. Some of the cases were psycho-somatic disorders. The percentage of improvement from slight to remarkable between mental disorders (78.8%) and physical disorders (77.1%) is about equal. The method of treatment and schematic of the SEA device are discussed and shown.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
PMID: 1362037 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
