This is the third symposium on 'cancer and acupuncture and moxibustion'. Many physicians and intellectuals are skeptical of the use of Western medicine for cancer patients, which often lead to serious adverse events. Acupuncture and moxibustion, which is capable of improving quality of life (QOL) and activating immunity with minimal side effects is also expected to have beneficial effects on various stages of cancer patients, such as prevention of development or recurrence of cancer and palliative care. In fact, evidence has recently accumulated in the field. Dr. Fukuda, Associate Professor of Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, who reported the usefulness of acupuncture and moxibustion in palliative care in the first symposium and bibliographical information in the second has reported this time on the topic of safety and effectiveness of acupuncture on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Kurokawa from the National Defense Medical College reported the effectiveness of acupuncture on physical and psychological symptoms, QOL, prevention of adverse events, and pre-and post-operative disorders in cancer patients. Dr. Kouchi from Saitama Medical School reported on the usefulness of acupuncture in the university hospital and factors which influence the effect. Dr. Nakamura from Morinomiya University presented a case with chemotherapy-related symptoms who had been cared for with a long-term application of moxibustion. In contrast to these reports on the efficacy of the acupuncture for chemotherapy-and radiotherapy-induced side effects, Dr. Magara from Somon Hachipuji Clinic, who had consistently reported a preventive effect of autonomic immune therapy that involves acupuncture without Western clinical treatment from the first symposium, this time presented topics regarding improvement in the immunity by increasing various cytokines, the possibility of reduction of a tumor even in a case of advanced cancer that cannot be treated with a surgical approach, reduction of the recurrence rate among cases who were treated with his approach as compared with those under conventional approaches. He insisted we should concentrate our efforts on research on preventing the recurrence of cancer with approaches that activates the natural healing process of human beings.
We concluded that clinical trials with a larger sample are needed to clearly identify the usefulness of acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer patients.

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[Objective]The influence of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on physical inactivity is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EA on the recovery of mouse soleus muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb suspension (HS).
[Methods]We used 8-week-old male ICR mice (n = 20). The mice were divided into 4 groups:the No treatment group (NT, n = 5), HS group (HS, n = 5), Control group (CT, n = 5), and Reloading-with-EA-stimulation group (EA, n = 5). HS mice were suspended for up to 14 days. CT and EA mice were reloaded for an additional 14 days after the HS for 14 days. The HS method used a modified version of an apparatus used in a previous study. EA mice received EA every other day immediately after reloading and were stimulated in the triceps surae muscle at 10 Hz for 30 min with a stainless steel needle. The weight, muscle fiber area size and number of macrophages in the soleus muscle were analyzed.
[Results]The number of skeletal muscle macrophages was increased significantly in EA mice compared with that in CT mice (P < 0.01). The soleus muscle weight and muscle fiber cross-sectional area were decreased in HS mice compared with NT mice (P < 0.01). However, the muscle weight of EA and CT mice increased significantly compared with that of HS mice (P < 0.01). In addition, the muscle weight of EA mice was significantly higher than that of CT mice (P < 0.01), without a significant difference in muscle fiber cross-sectional area between CT and EA mice.
[Conclusion]These results indicate that EA was effective in facilitating the recovery of skeletal muscle atrophy in mice. In addition, resolution of the skeletal muscle atrophy suggested the satellite cell activation by macrophages, because macrophages invaded the skeletal muscle after EA stimulation.

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[Objective]To survey the current situation of infection control in clinical practice of acupuncture and to discuss the problems and strategy.
[Methods]The subjects were 1,000 acupuncture clinics enrolled in iTownPage in the Chubu region. The questionnaire was sent to them by mail in November 2008. The questions were the following; 1) Profile of respondent, 2) Hand hygiene, 3) Preparation of needling sites, 4) Sterilization and storage of needles and equipment and disposable products, 5) Disposable needle, 6) Hand-pressing (Oshi-de), 7) Infectious waste, 8) Awareness, efforts and self-evaluation of practitioner for infection control, and 9) Comments of this survey.
[Results]The collection rate was 22.2%. Washing time for less than 30 sec was 31.1%, Usage rate of a cloth towel was 67.7%, Hand antisepsis by the basin method was 18.9%, Usage rate of 50 %isopropyl alcohol was 19.8%, etc. 26.6%of all respondents answered that the possibility of infection in acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was very low and 50.9%of those responded that it was low. However, only 27.0%of the responders answered that infection control in their own clinics was appropriate. In addition, 72.5%of the responders belonged to the Japan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Association (JAMA) or the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (JSAM).
[Conclusion]Although some infection controls have been improved, many problems became clear. These problems are suggested to be caused by poor acknowledge, previous experience and wishful thinking of practitioners. It is necessary to continue activities to raise practitioner's awareness for infection control.

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[Purpose]The reason is uncertain though it is assumed that to young people that there are a lot of Temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Then, the questionnaire survey concerning the mandible function was administered for university students, and the clinical trial of the acupuncture treatment that used sham acupuncture for the one where the problem was seen in the mandible function was tried.
[Method]We questioned students at Meiji University of Integrative Medicine by answer selection type concerning the mandible function. The acupuncture treatment was done on 16 students (21.5 ± 1.7 years old;mean ±S.D.) who had problems in the mandible function. The group was divided into two groups (the acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group) at random. Each group received five acupuncture treatment sessions several times week in total. Outcome measures were pain intensity (visual analogue scale) and function of jaw (mouth opening and muscle power). Each evaluation was assumed to be done before beginning the treatment, and the effect of treatment was assumed to be the one evaluated as a therapeutic gain after one week.
[Result]University students who had some problem in the mandible function were 50%or more of the whole, and a lot of problems were joint noises. On the other hand, the acupuncture group was 67.1 ± 19.1 mm and the sham group was 65.6 ± 15.2 mm. Both groups showed reduction tendencies as the acupuncture group was 9.3± 7.8 mm and the sham group was 40.5 ± 16.7 mm. The acupuncture group reported less pain intensity than the sham acupuncture group (p = 0.0152, Mann-Whitney). However, the true and sham acupuncture groups did not change the function of the jaw.
[Conclusion]A lot of university students who had mandible function problems were unexpectedly regarded as necessary to treat at the early stage. On the other hand, these results suggest that true acupuncture procedures may be more effective on TMD in young patients than sham acupuncture procedures.

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[Objective]Asperger's disorder, one of autism, is characterized by a limited radius of interest and activities and also difficulty in mutual social relationships. We treated a girl who developed school refusal due to general fatigue by directing our attention to the background of forming a symbiotic relationship with her mother, who had symptoms of depression. The symptoms of the both patients were improved by acupuncture treatment.
[Case]A 12-year-old girl complained of general fatigue. Since May X (year), the patient had complained of general fatigue and had started refusing to attend school. In August, she consulted the psychiatry department and was diagnosed with Asperger's disorder. While receiving educational counseling by the city, she started undergoing acupuncture treatment from May X+1 (year). Prior to that treatment, her mother, who had complaints of joint pain due to pustulosis palmaris and depression, had started acupuncture treatment in September X (year). We applied acupuncture treatment once in 1-2 weeks with the aim of tonifying the heart and spleen, and unblocking yang, the governor vessel. We conducted fact-finding on the spot in minute detail for both patients. We asked them to use a categorical scale and provide scores for symptoms, particularly body (general) fatigue, feeling of sound sleep, glow of hands and feet, headache and dejection.
[Result]We performed acupuncture treatment 28 times over 11 months and symptoms were a 30-50%improvement. The girl became able to go to classes for school-refusing children, which is managed autonomously, and also attended school events. Her mother's symptoms also scored similarly and stabilized.
[Conclusion]The symptoms of the patient were related to the condition of her mother and also physical and mental imbalances due to adolescence. We concluded that acupuncture treatment for both the mother and girl improved the symbiotic relationship between mother and child, providing success in both acupuncture effects and countenancing acceptance.

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[Background]Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) represents a chronic pain disorder localized in the abdomen and the symptoms largely are unrelated to food intake and defecation, which differ from other painful functional gastrointestinal disorders.
We report a case of FAPS whose symptom was successfully improved by acupuncture.
[Case Report]A 75-year-old female had been hospitalized at Meiji University of Integrative Medicine Hospital because of left lower abdominal pain from which she had repeatedly suffered for more than 2 years. Despite strict medication, her symptom had not been improved. After admission to the hospital, according to recommendation by her physician, acupuncture treatment was started. The patient received TCM-based acupuncture treatments five times a week over 13weeks. Primary acupuncture points used for the patient were LV3(Taichong), SP6 (Sanyinjiao), ST36 (Zusanli) and PC6 (Neiguan). Evaluation of the left lower abdominal pain was carried out with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) was used to evaluate QOL related to the digestive symptoms. VAS for the left lower abdominal pain showed a remarkable decrease immediately after the initial acupuncture session. The symptom disappeared within 4 weeks after commencement of the treatment and never appeared during her hospitalization. GSRS was also improved and it was maintained during hospitalization.
[Conclusion]We suggested that acupuncture treatment might be one of the useful, non-pharmacological alternatives for symptoms of FAPS.

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An International Symposium for Developing an Acupuncture Standard of WFAS was held at the WFAS Office Building in Beijing on 18 May 2010. The aim of this meeting was to make the WFAS Industry Standard and to further develop the International Standard of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.
JSAM dispatched two representatives to the meeting as informal observers. The reason why JSAM did not send representatives formally is that there was a serious discrepancy regarding the resolution of the EC meeting between WFAS and JSAM. However, after the several discussions with WFAS, JSAM eventually decided to send informal representatives who have a right to speak. JSAM presented the necessary information about Japanese moxibustion as well as its techniques.

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