Abstract
[Objective] To compare circular skin acupuncture and pushing stimulation using the edema scale.
[Methods] Subjects included 20 women (mean age: 39.0 years; standard deviation: 11.2); 8 underwent pushing stimulation (CG) and 12 underwent circular skin acupuncture (AG). All the participants provided informed consent. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences. Paionex needles (made by SEIRIN), 0.9 mm for AG and 0.3 mm (noninvasive treatment) for CG, were used, respectively. We set the cure area to Yinlingquan (SP9), Diji (SP8), and Sanyinjiao (SP6). We administered the treatment for seven days (once in two days; a total of three times) and evaluated the results after seven days (Post). Steps for treatment were as follows: first, no treatment was performed for seven days (Pre), followed by the intervention of seven days (Stim) and then a period of no treatment for seven days (Post). We recorded edema and visual analog scale (VAS) scores and examined the 9-cm circumference at the malleolus medialis (ankle circumference). AG and CG were compared with a two-way layout analysis of variance of temporal changes using a mixed model. We also performed multiple comparisons of the groups. A conflict of interest may exist with SEIRIN since we used Paionex needles.
[Results] Compared with the Pre group (14.5 points, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 11.7, 17.3), the edema score decreased in the Stim group (9.9 points, 95% CI: 7.1, 12.7) in AG. Compared with the Pre group (12.4 points, 95% CI: 10.5, 14.4), the edema scale fell in the Stim group (7.6 points, 95% CI: 4.9, 10.3) in CG. In CG, the VAS score for edema changed in the Post group (63.7 mm, 95% CI: 51.1, 76.3) compared with the Pre group (33.7 mm, 95% CI: 24.7, 42.7). However, the VAS score for edema did not change in AG. There was no significant difference between the VAS scores of edemas of AG and CG. The ankle circumference remained unchanged.
[Discussion] Circular skin acupuncture and pushing stimulation are effective with the use of a continuous patch.
[Conclusion] Edema scores improved with performance of the two procedures of circular skin acupuncture and pushing stimulation.
