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Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture therapy for aura-absence migraine., Methods: A total of 60 aura-absence migraine outpatients who signed an informed consent participated in the present study. They were randomized into medication group and acupuncture group (n = 30/group) according to a randomized number table and their visiting sequence. Patients of acupuncture group were treated by acupuncture of Ashi-point, Baihui (GV 20), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Shuaigu (GB 8), Fengchi (GB 20), Benshen (GB 13) and Lieque (LU 7). The acupuncture needles were retained for 30 min after "Deqi", and the treatment was conducted once daily, 6 times every week and continuously for 4 weeks. Patients of the medication group were treated with oral administration of Flunarizine (10 mg/time, once every night) for 4 weeks. The SF-36 Quality-of-Life Instrument (SF-36) and integral scores of headache were measured before and after the treatment., Results: In comparison with the pre-treatment, scores of physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE), vitality (VT), mental-health (MH) and general health (GH) of SF-36 in both medication and acupuncture groups were increased significantly (P < 0.05), and those of PF, RP and BP of the acupuncture group were significantly higher than the scores of the medication group (P < 0.05). The integral scores of headache were decreased significantly in both medication group and acupuncture group (P < 0.05), and those of the acupuncture group were remarkably lower than the scores of the medication group after the treatment (P < 0.05). Of the two 30 migraine patients in the medication and acupuncture groups, 1 (3.33%) and 9 (30.00%) were cured, 1 (3.33%) and 2 (6.67%) had a marked improvement in their symptoms, 9 (30.00%) and 8 (26.67%) were effective, 19 (63. 33%) and 11 (36.67%) were ineffective, with the total effective rates being 36.67% and 63.33%, respectively. The cure rate and the total effective rate of the acupuncture group were significantly higher than those of the medication group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy can raise the migraineurs' life quality, lessen the times and severity of headache attack, and its therapeutic effect is superior to that of medication.

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of acu-moxibustion for ordinary psoriasis, so as to find a better curative method for it., Methods: A total of 60 cases of psoriasis were equally randomized into medication group[(8. 67 - 6. 53) months in duration of disease, (39. 25+/- 10. 21) years in age] and acu-moxibustion group [(9. 16 7. 37) months in duration of disease, and (37. 38 +/- 11. 36) years in age] according to a random number table. For patients of acu-moxibustion group, main acupoints used were Feishu (BL13), Geshu (BL17), Ganshu (BL18), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23), combined with other acupoints [Hegu (LI 4), Weizhong (BL 40), etc. ] according to the affected part of the body. Moxibustion was applied to Shenshu (BL 23) and the injured skin area for about 3 min every time. Acu-moxibustion treatment was given once every other day continuously for 12 weeks. Patients of the medication group were treated with oral administration of Acitretin capsules (20 mg/d, for 12 weeks). The therapeutic effect was evaluated by using psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scoring method. Results After the treatment, the integrative scores of PASI in both medication and acu-moxibustion groups decreased significantly (P<0. 01), and that of the acu-moxibustion group was significantly lower than that of the medication group (P<0. 05). Of the both 30 psoriasis patients in the medication and acu-moxibustion groups, 1 (3. 33%) and 4 (13. 33%) were cured basically, 15 (50. 00%) and 17 (56. 67%) were improved significantly, 12 (40. 00%) and 6 (20. 00%) were effective, and 2 (6. 67%) and 3 (10. 00%) invalid, with the effective rates being 93. 33% and 90. 00%, respectively. The cured plus markedly effective rate of the acu-moxibustion group was significantly higher than that of the medication group (P<0. 05)., Conclusion: Acu-moxibustion therapy is effective in the treatment of psoriasis and is remarkably superior to that of medication.

Objective: To observe changes of SP and CCK-8 contents in the hypothalamus and spinal cord after performing acupotomy lysis so as to study its central analgesic effect in rats with transverse-process syndrome of the third lumbar vertebra., Methods: Twenty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, acupotomy lysis group and electroacupuncture (EA) group, with 7 cases in each one. The model of the third lumbar vertebra transverse process syndrome was established by inserting a piece of gelatin sponge into the deep subfascial part of the 3rd lumbar transverse process. Acupotomy lysis was conducted 1 time/week for 2 weeks. EA (2/100 Hz, 1-2 mA) was applied to the left "Shenshu" (BL 23)-"Yaoyangguan"(GV 3) for 20 min/time, 3 times/week and for 2 weeks. SP and CCK-8 contents in the hypothalamus and spinal cord were detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: In model group, SP and CCK-8 contents in the hypothalamus and spinal cord were increased significantly in comparison with normal control group (P < 0.01). Compared with model group, both SP and CCK-8 contents in hypothalamus and SP content in spinal cord in acupotomy lysis and EA groups were apparently lower (P < 0.01, 0.05). CCK-8 content in spinal cord in cupotomy lysis group was lower markedly than that of model group (P < 0.01), while no significant difference was found between model group and EA group in CCK-8 level in spinal cord (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Acupotomy lysis can downregulate SP and CCK-8 contents in hypothalamus and spinal cord, which may contribute to its effect in relieving pain from transverse process syndrome of the third lumbar vertebra.