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This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of acupuncture in low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy under real life conditions, as compared with patients undergoing conventional treatment alone. A total of 61 conventionally treated pregnant women were allocated randomly into two groups to be treated or not by acupuncture. Twenty-seven patients formed the study group and 34 the control group. They reported the severity of pain using a Numerical Rating Scale from 0 to 10, and their capacity to perform general activities, to work, and to walk. We also assessed the use of analgesic drugs. Women were followed up for eight weeks and interviewed five times, at two-week intervals. All women completed the study. In the study group the average pain during the study period showed a larger reduction (4.8 points) than the control group (-0.3 points) (P<0.0001). Average pain scores decreased by at least 50% over time in 21 (78%) patients in the acupuncture group and in five (15%) patients in the control group (P<0.0001). Maximum pain and pain at the moment of interview were also less in the acupuncture group compared with the control group. The capacity to perform general activities, to work and to walk was improved significantly more in the study group than in the control group (P<0.05). The use of paracetamol was lower in the acupuncture group (P<0.01). These results indicate that acupuncture seems to alleviate low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy, as well as to increase the capacity for some physical activities and to diminish the need for drugs, which is a great advantage during this period.

In-plane vibrational intensities and dipolar derivative directions of trans-C2H2X2(XF or Cl) were calculated from a set of systematically planned ab initio calculations. The results reveal that the directions of the ∂p/∂QI’s are practically invariant to both, the level of calculation and basis set change, in contrast to that found for the vibrational intensities. With the exception of the direction of the C–H stretching mode for trans-C2H2Cl2, all the others follow behaviors expected if simple chemical valency concepts are applied to the trans-dihaloethylenes. Thus, the directions of the stretching and bending dipolar derivatives are almost parallel and perpendicular to the chemical bonds, respectively. These directions and the experimental vibrational intensities were used to obtain the atomic polar tensors of the trans-dihaloethylenes.

De Quervain's disease is a painful stenosing tenosynovitis of the first dorsal compartment of the hand affecting the tendons of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis, caused mainly by overuse. Conventional treatments include rest, immobilisation, oral anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid injection and even surgery, but none of these is established as clearly effective. Acupuncture is rarely mentioned and the points suggested are rather general—regional, tender and ah shipoints. Tendinopathy is almost always associated with problems in the relevant muscles and this paper calls attention to the correct identification and needling of the affected muscles, in order to increase the specificity of acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture has been used in numerous diseases and for many types of symptoms. It has been also used for obstetric complaints, such as nausea and vomiting, insomnia and low back and girdle pain. There has long been concern that some points—called forbidden—might harm pregnancy owing to a potential abortifacient effect, but it is difficult to confirm this proposition. The small number of available publications on this topic seems to show that this is not correct. Animal research examining possible harmful effects and a systematic review would be welcome to throw some light on this question.