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Objectives: To evaluate the advantages of adding acupuncture to standard postoperative pain management for open radical prostatectomy (RP). Materials and methods: A randomized controlled trial (1:1:1) comparing routine postoperative analgesic care (control [CON]) vs the addition of press tack needle acupuncture (ACU) or press tack placebo acupressure (SHAM) for pain management after open RP was performed. A total of 126 patients were enrolled between February 2020 and April 2021. After open RP, the CON group received standard postoperative analgesia, the ACU group received long‐term acupuncture with press tacks at specific points (P‐6, Shenmen and SP‐6) along with standard analgesia, and the SHAM group received placebo press tacks at the same acupuncture points alongside standard analgesia. The primary endpoint was postoperative pain measured on a numeric rating scale, the NRS‐11, calculated as the area under the curve. The cumulative use of routine postoperative analgesics, time to first defaecation, and quality of life were analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test, Fisher's exact test, and Pearson's chi‐squared test. Results: The ACU group reported significantly less postoperative pain compared to the SHAM (P = 0.007) and CON groups (P = 0.02). There were no significant difference in median (interquartile range) cumulative pain medication usage, time to first defaecation (CON: 37 [33, 44] h; SHAM: 37 [33, 42] h; ACU: 37 [33, 41] h; P > 0.9), or health status at discharge (EuroQol five‐dimension, five‐level general health assessment questionnaire: CON: 70 [65–83]; SHAM: 70 [60–80]; ACU: 70 [50–80]). Conclusion: Incorporating acupuncture into postoperative pain management can improve patient postoperative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of 75 area vocational-technical (AVT) students and 90 inmates in Oklahoma vo-tech skills centers completed tests in 3 occupational areas. AVT students had higher scores in word processing; inmates had significantly higher scores on the horticulture greenhouse worker test. No significant differences resulted for the automobile cluster. (SK)

Background: Acupuncture is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), but data from randomized controlled trials are rare. Methods: This randomized, placebo‐controlled, partially double‐blinded clinical trial randomly assigned adults with confirmed type 2 diabetes‐induced DPN to receive 10 sessions of needle acupuncture, laser acupuncture, or placebo laser acupuncture for 10 consecutive weeks. Treatment was provided at bilateral acupoints Ex‐LE‐10 (Bafeng), Ex‐LE‐12 (Qiduan), and ST‐34 (Lianqiu). Neurological assessments, including nerve conduction studies (NCS) of sural and tibial nerves, were performed at baseline and weeks 6 and 15. Primary outcome was delta of sural sensory nerve action potential (SNAP). Secondary outcomes included further NCS values, clinical scores, and patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs). Results: Of 180 participants, 172 completed the study. Sural SNAP and sural and tibial nerve conduction velocities improved significantly after 10 treatments when comparing needle acupuncture to placebo. Needle acupuncture showed earlier onset of action than laser acupuncture. PROMs showed larger improvements following needle and laser acupuncture than placebo, reaching significant differences for hyperesthesia and cramps following needle acupuncture and for heat sensation following laser acupuncture. Conclusions: Classical needle acupuncture had significant effects on DPN. Improvement in NCS values presumably indicates structural neuroregeneration following acupuncture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhizome of Coptis chinensis is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine alone or in combination with other herbs to treat diseases characterized by causing oxidative stress including inflammatory diseases, diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, there is emerging evidence that Coptis chinensis is effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of Coptis chinensis in vitro and in vivo using MPP and MPTP models of Parkinson's disease. MPP treated human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were used as a cell model of Parkinson's disease. A 24h pre-treatment of the cells with the watery extract of Coptis chinensis significantly increased cell viability, as well as the intracellular ATP concentration and attenuated apoptosis compared to the MPP control. Further experiments with the main alkaloids of Coptidis chinensis, berberine, coptisine, jaterorrhizine and palmatine revealed that berberine and coptisine were the main active compounds responsible for the observed neuroprotective effect. However, the full extract of Coptis chinensis was more effective than the tested single alkaloids. In the MPTP-induced animal model of Parkinson's disease, Coptis chinensis dose-dependently improved motor functions and increased tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra compared to the MPTP control. Based on the results of this work, Coptis chinensis and its main alkaloids could be considered potential candidates for the development of new treatment options for Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a reply to a comment on a study titled "A randomized controlled study on acupuncture for peri-operative pain after open radical prostatectomy." The authors address the comment by discussing the complexity of pain experiences, the generalizability of their results, the choice of acupuncture points, and the impact of acupuncture on recovery parameters. They agree that their study opens up possibilities for non-pharmacological pain management in urology and encourage future research to expand patient diversity, include qualitative results, and deepen the understanding of the neurophysiological basis of acupuncture. The authors also emphasize the importance of considering safety, patient preference, and cost-effectiveness in implementing acupuncture in routine care. [Extracted from the article]