This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82374291), 2022 &#34;Tianfu Qingcheng Plan&#34; Tianfu Science and Technology Leading Talents Project (Chuan Qingcheng No. 1090), the National TCM Clinical Excellent Talents Training Program (National TCM Renjiao Letter [2022] No. 1), &#34;100 Talent Plan&#34; Project of Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Hospital office [2021] 42), Special subject of scientific research of Sichuan Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2021MS539, 2023MS608), Sichuan Science Technology Program (2023ZYD0050, 24NSFJQ0077),&#34;Hundred Talents Program&#34; of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (grant nos. 20-Q06) and Sichuan Philosophy and Social Science Planning Major Programs (SC22ZD010).

This is a before and after self-controlled trial of seven patients diagnosed with AECOPD complicated with sleep disorders from the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between December 2023 and January 2024. The clinical study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Clinical Research Approval Committee of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (KY2022031).
1. Patient selection
<ol>
	<li>Inclusion criteria:
	<ol>
		<li>Include patients who meet the diagnostic criteria of AECOPD per the Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2024 report) (GOLD 2024)11.</li>
		<li>Include patients who meet the diagnostic criteria of sleep disorders per the third edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD)12or the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)13.</li>
		<li>Include patients who are hospitalized for treatment.</li>
		<li>Include conscious, mentally normal patients informed about the study.</li>
		<li>Include patients with no serious diseases of the heart, liver, kidney, immune system, or hematopoietic system and who are not involved in other clinical studies.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Exclusion criteria:
	<ol>
		<li>Exclude patients having other serious mental illnesses, sleep disorders not caused by AECOPD, and having received sedative-hypnotics treatment and other AA or EPT therapy in the past 1 month.</li>
		<li>Exclude patients allergic to medical devices such as adhesive tapes, medical non-woven fabrics, and related herbal medicines.</li>
		<li>Exclude patients with auricle injury, sensory disturbances, and skin breakage.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Shedding and rejection criteria:
	<ol>
		<li>Reject patients who cannot adhere to the treatment and have serious adverse reactions or aggravate the original disease during the test.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Research design
<ol>
	<li>Adopt the comparative test method of the same patient before and after treatment. Observe patients (n = 7) who suffer from AECOPD complicated with sleep disorders.</li>
	<li>Ask patients to complete the PSQI questionnaire1424 h before AA and EPT.</li>
	<li>Ensure that all the included patients receive the same standardized AECOPD nursing interventions.
	<ol>
		<li>Basic interventions: keep the ward clean, comfortable, and tidy, and reduce noise.</li>
		<li>Drug intervention: Ensure patients undergo cough expectorant and conventional anti-infective treatment. 
		NOTE: Drugs used include Doxofylline, compound ipratropium bromide solution for inhalation, Salmeterol ticarcoson inhalation powder mist, sensitive antibiotics, and glucocorticosteroid.</li>
		<li>Dietary intervention: Instruct patients to avoid taking excitatory substances (strong tea, etc.), alcohol, and tobacco, and avoid overeating before going to bed.</li>
		<li>Psychological intervention: carry out sleep education, communicate with patients, and eliminate their negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.</li>
		<li>Respiratory function exercise: Instruct patients to correctly expectorate and cough and perform abdominal and lip retraction breathing.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Have the patients receive AA and EPT therapy (see section 4).</li>
	<li>Fill in the PSQI questionnaire again after 1 week of treatment.</li>
	<li>Collate the questionnaire data by two researchers simultaneously and remove the incomplete or incorrect data. Express the PSQI questionnaire scores with mean &#177; standard deviation using appropriate data analysis software. Consider P &#60; 0.05 as statistically significant in the Paired t-test. 
	NOTE: The same researcher who has received relevant professional training explains the contents of the questionnaire to the patient throughout the trial without making any directional prompts.</li>
</ol>
3. Preparations before procedure
<ol>
	<li>Equipment preparation
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare items such as the Chinese herbal medicine about Sinapis alba Linnaeus, Asarum sieboldii Miq, Euphorbia kansui T. N. Liou ex S. B. Ho and Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang, acupoint patches, magnetic treatment plaster, sterile cotton swabs, medical tape, tweezers, 75% alcohol cotton balls, medical hand disinfectants, medical disposable sterilization rubber gloves (see Figure 1 and Table of Materials for details).</li>
		<li>Take 30 g each of Sinapis alba Linnaeus, Euphorbia kansui T. N. Liou ex S. B. Ho, Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang and 10 g of Asarum sieboldii Miq for a total of 100 g, prepared in the ratio of 3:3:3:1. Use an ultra-micro pulverizer to make them into powder in advance and seal it in a plastic bag for later use.</li>
		<li>Before treatment, take 15 g of the mixed powder and use 15 mL of ginger extract to make a paste of medicinal powder. Place the paste on a curved plate.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Patient preparation
	<ol>
		<li>Create a comfortable, quiet, and clean environment, and tell the patient to avoid taking excitatory substances such as alcohol and tobacco. Let the patient sit upright with the shoulders relaxed and arms bent naturally on the knees.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Physician preparation
	<ol>
		<li>Pull the bed curtain, pay attention to protect the privacy of the patient, and prevent the patient from catching a cold.</li>
		<li>Recheck the patient&#39;s name, gender, age, and inpatient number.</li>
		<li>Wash hands with soap and water. Disinfect hands with medical hand disinfectant after drying. Finally, wear medical disposable rubber gloves.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Treatment procedure
<ol>
	<li>Positioning of acupoints
	<ol>
		<li>Select Tian tu (CV22) on the patient&#39;s anterior cervical region and bilateral Fei shu (BL13) on the back for AA. Select binaural Fei (CO14), Qi guan (CO16), Shen men (TF4), and Pi zhi xia (AT4) for EPT. 
		NOTE: In the two treatment methods of AA and EPT, the selection of relevant acupoints and their specific positions are based on the recorded efficacy and positions of National Standard of the People&#39;s Republic of China: Nomenclature and location of meridian points published in 2021(GB/T12346-2021)15and Nomenclature and location of auricular points published in 2008 (GB/T13734-2008)16. The methods for locating acupuncture points include the anatomical landmark method, proportional bone measurement, and finger-cun measurement15. See Figure 2 and Table 1 for details .</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Disinfection of patient treatment areas
	<ol>
		<li>Use tweezers to clamp 75% alcohol cotton balls to disinfect the patient&#39;s binaural CO14, CO16, TF4, AT4, CV22, and bilateral BL13 from the inside to the outside with the acupoint point as the center, with an appropriate range of 5 cm. 
		NOTE: Each acupoint should be disinfected three times, and the scope of each disinfection should be narrowed than the previous one. If the patient is allergic to alcohol, iodophor can be used as a substitute.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Acupoint application procedure
	<ol>
		<li>Take the prepared medicine from the medical curved plate, roughly divide it into 3 equal parts, remove the ointment with a tongue depressor, and apply it in a regular pattern to the center of the acupoint patches(diameter x thickness of about 3 cm x 0.5 cm).</li>
		<li>Fix the prepared acupoint patches to the Tian tu (CV22) and Fei shu(BL13) points. See Figure 3 for details.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Ear plaster therapy procedure
	<ol>
		<li>Let the patients take the sitting position, fix one side of the auricle with one hand, take the magnetic treatment pill with tweezers in the other hand, and then apply it at the CO14, CO16, TF4, and AT4. Repeat the procedure on the other side (see Figure 4A-E for details).</li>
		<li>Gently press the pill in a clockwise direction with a force that allows the patient to feel acid, numbness, bloating, pain, and heat but can tolerate it as a measure (De qi17). See Figure 4F for details.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
5. Post-treatment care
<ol>
	<li>Keep the AA therapy for 4-6 h each time, 1 time/day, and 7 days of continuous treatment. Advise the patient to press the auricular acupoints in the morning, at noon, at night, and before going to bed, 5 min/time, every other day on either ears once for 7 days throughout the treatment course.</li>
	<li>Tell the patients to keep the treatment site dry and clean as much as possible to avoid the patch falling off.</li>
</ol>
6. Adverse incident handling methods
<ol>
	<li>Tell the patients not to scratch the skin with their hands if there are local allergic reactions such as skin itching, redness, blisters, and exudation. Apply anti-allergy ointment locally to relieve symptoms if necessary.</li>
	<li>Inform the patients in advance that if nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitation, and other discomfort occur during the treatment process, immediately stop the therapy.</li>
</ol>

Acupoint and Ear Plaster Therapy for Treating Sleep Disorders in AECOPD Patients

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

This study combined AA with EPT to explore the procedure and efficacy of the treatment of sleep disorders in patients with AECOPD. AA refers to the external treatment method of grinding specific drugs into powder and then mixing them into a paste with water, white wine or rice wine, vinegar, ginger juice, etc., and finally making the paste, pill, powder, paste, mud, cake and other dosage forms, which are applied to specific acupoints. Reviewing the literature on AA in the treatment of sleep disorder in the past ten years...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by incomplete reversibility of airflow limitation, with gradual progression, primarily involving the lungs, but also causing damage to various other organs outside the lungs. Its pathogenesis is mainly related to the regulation of apoptosis and promotion of inflammatory response by radical oxygen species (ROS) during oxidative stress (OS)1, affecting gene transcription and exacerbating protease-antiprotease imbalance finally2. It often causes chronic coughing, coughing up sputum, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, and chest tightness. According to a WHO survey, COPD is the third leading cause of death globally, posing a serious threat to human health, and by 2060, the number of deaths from this disease will exceed 5.4 million annually3. Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) refers to acute changes in respiratory distress, cough, and sputum in COPD patients at baseline levels. AECOPD patients often experience shortened sleep time and decreased sleep quality due to various factors such as serious respiratory symptoms, nocturnal hypoxia, accompanying psychological problems, medication use, and socio-economic conditions4. Therefore, sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), restless leg syndrome (RLS), and insomnia, have become common complications for AECOPD patients, especially in elderly severe patients.
The reasons for sleep disorders in AECOPD patients include increased airway resistance and reduced airflow at night and/or in the morning, which aggravate ventilation disorders and ultimately lead to frequent awakenings, shortened sleep time, and difficulty falling asleep5,6. Moreover, the large financial burden of AECOPD on families makes patients often accompanied by anxiety, depression, and other psychological problems4. More notably, sleep disorders can, in turn, increase the risk of pulmonary hypertension in AECOPD patients and are closely related to higher disease severity, more frequent exacerbation, higher utilization of emergency medical services, and higher mortality rates7. According to the latest research, the prevalence of OSA, RLS, and insomnia in AECOPD patients, respectively, reached 29.1%, 21.6%, and 29.5%. Patients with OSA may have a higher risk of hypertension and diabetes. Patients with RLS are related to higher Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score and a longer COPD duration(year). Furthermore, insomnia is more common in female patients8. Therefore, it is essential to carry out timely nursing interventions for AECOPD patients with sleep disorders.
At present, the clinical treatment of AECOPD patients mainly focuses on improving respiratory symptoms while ignoring sleep problems. In addition, benzodiazepines, melatonin, melatonin receptor agonists, and antipsychotics used by patients with severe sleep disorders have adverse reactions such as respiratory inhibition, drug dependence, cognitive impairment, dizziness, and somnolence; therefore, it is mostly used for acute sleep disorders, while it is limited in the application of chronic sleep disorders9. Other special intervention methods, including nocturnal oxygen therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and pulmonary rehabilitation exercise, are not commonly used because of their high cost, unclear effect, and difficulty in clinical practice4. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find an effective, safe, and simple treatment for AECOPD patients with sleep disorders.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history and rich experience in the treatment of sleep disorders. Acupoint application (AA) and ear plaster therapy (EPT) are both traditional Chinese medicine techniques. A systematic review study also found that AA and EPT have significant curative effects in the treatment of primary insomnia10. In this study, we will elucidate in detail the process and efficacy of the two treatments for AECOPD, including the medical equipment used, acupoint selection, treatment procedure, nursing, treatment of related accidents, etc. By comparing the changes in the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) before and after treatment to evaluate their clinical efficacy, we aimed to provide a new reference for the clinical treatment of this kind of disease.

<table><tbody><tr><td>75% alcohol cotton balls</td><td>Shanghai Honglong Industrial Co., Ltd</td><td>20231116</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Acupoint patches</td><td>Jiangsu Guangyi Medical Dressing Co., Ltd</td><td>20230718</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Chinese herbal medicine</td><td>Guangdong Kanghe Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd</td><td>230802</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Magnetic treatment plaster</td><td>Suzhou Medical Supplies Factory Co., Ltd</td><td>233010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Medical disposable sterilization rubber gloves</td><td>Shandong Yuyuan Latex Gloves Co., Ltd</td><td>230806R22</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Medical hand disinfectants</td><td>Shanghai Likang Disinfection High tech Co., Ltd</td><td>20230113J</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Medical tape</td><td>Minnesota Mining Manufacturing Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd</td><td>23063GO</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sterile cotton swabs</td><td>Shanghai Honglong Medical Equipment Co., Ltd</td><td>20231108</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tweezers</td><td>Yangzhou Huayue Technology Development Co., Ltd</td><td>20231106</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

acupoint application combined with ear plaster therapy for treating sleep disorders with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation, which is not fully reversible and progressive. Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) refers to acute changes in respiratory distress, cough, and sputum in COPD patients at baseline levels. Sleep disorders are a very common complication in patients with AECOPD. At present, long-term use of sedative-hypnotics alone has many side effects, such as mental and physical dependence and cognitive impairment. While the efficacy of other special intervention methods is not clear, and the cost is high, there is an urgent need for effective and safe treatment in clinics. Acupoint application and ear plaster therapy are considered the characteristic therapies of traditional Chinese medicine. They have the advantages of small side effects, high safety, and simple procedure. This study will elucidate in detail the specific process and efficacy of the two treatment methods for AECOPD complicated with sleep disorders, including medical devices used, selection of acupoints, procedure, and posttreatment care. This study is intended to provide a new reference for the clinical treatment modality of this type of disease.

Based on the changes before and after treatment, it was found that the total PSQI scores and five components score results of PSQI, including time to fall asleep, sleep quality, sleep time, sleep disorders, and daytime function, were all lower than before, and the differences were statistically significant (P &#60; 0.05). However, there were not many changes before and after treatment regarding sleep efficiency (P = 0.056) and application of medications for sleeping (P = 0.103) (See Tab...

Author Spotlight: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Sleep Disorders in Acute COPD &#8212; A Safe, Cost-Effective Approach

The present protocol describes the specific process and efficacy of the acupoint application combined with ear plaster therapy for sleep disorders in a patient with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including medical devices, selection of acupoints, operating methods, and posttreatment care.

Acupoint Application Combined with Ear Plaster Therapy for Treating Sleep Disorders with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation, which is not fully reversible and ...

acupoint-application-combined-with-ear-plaster-therapy-for-treating

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

688 Views.  Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ons onderzoek richt zich op de behandeling van slaapstoornissen bij patiënten met acute exacerbatie van COPD door de toepassing van acupunttoepassing en de oorpleistertherapie. We willen dit verder onderzoeken door middel van traditionele Chinese geneeskunde, technieken kunnen de symptomen of fysieke tekenen van patiënten effectief verbeteren. Ons protocol moet ook klinische gegevens toevoegen over de vraag of acupunttoepassing in combinatie met oorpleister...

Video: Auteur in de schijnwerpers: Traditionele Chinese geneeskunde voor slaapstoornissen bij acute COPD - een veilige, kosteneffectieve aanpak

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscle Activation Using Respiratory Motor Control Assessment (RMCA) in Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

During breathing, activation of respiratory muscles is coordinated by integrated input from the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. When this coordination is disrupted by spinal cord injury (SCI), control of respiratory muscles innervated below the injury level is compromised1,2 leading to respiratory muscle dysfunction and pulmonary complications. These conditions are among the leading causes of death in patients with SCI3. Standard pulmonary function tests that assess respiratory motor function include spirometrical and maximum airway pressure outcomes: Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1), Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (PImax) and Maximal Expiratory Pressure (PEmax)4,5. These values provide indirect measurements of respiratory muscle performance6. In clinical practice and research, a surface electromyography (sEMG) recorded from respiratory muscles can be used to assess respiratory motor function and help to diagnose neuromuscular pathology. However, variability in the sEMG amplitude inhibits efforts to develop objective and direct measures of respiratory motor function6. Based on a multi-muscle sEMG approach to characterize motor control of limb muscles7, known as the voluntary response index (VRI)8, we developed an analytical tool to characterize respiratory motor control directly from sEMG data recorded from multiple respiratory muscles during the voluntary respiratory tasks. We have termed this the Respiratory Motor Control Assessment (RMCA)9. This vector analysis method quantifies the amount and distribution of activity across muscles and presents it in the form of an index that relates the degree to which sEMG output within a test-subject resembles that from a group of healthy (non-injured) controls. The resulting index value has been shown to have high face validity, sensitivity and specificity9-11. We showed previously9 that the RMCA outcomes significantly correlate with levels of SCI and pulmonary function measures. We are presenting here the method to quantitatively compare post-spinal cord injury respiratory multi-muscle activation patterns to those of healthy individuals.

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscle Activation Using Respiratory Motor Control Assessment RMCA in Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this publication is to present our original work on a multi-muscle surface electromyographic approach to quantitatively characterize respiratory muscle activation patterns in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury using vector-based analysis.

During breathing, activation of respiratory muscles is coordinated by integrated input from the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. When this coordination ...

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and lung parenchymal destruction. It has a very high incidence in aging populations. The current conventional therapies for COPD focus mainly on symptom-modifying drugs; thus, the development of new therapies is urgently needed. Qualified animal models of COPD could help to characterize the underlying mechanisms and can be used for new drug screening. Current COPD models, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced emphysema model, generate COPD-like lesions in the lungs and airways but do not otherwise resemble the pathogenesis of human COPD. A cigarette smoke (CS)-induced model remains one of the most popular because it not only simulates COPD-like lesions in the respiratory system, but it is also based on one of the main hazardous materials that causes COPD in humans. However, the time-consuming and labor-intensive aspects of the CS-induced model dramatically limit its application in new drug screening. In this study, we successfully generated a new COPD model by exposing mice to high levels of ozone. This model demonstrated the following: 1) decreased forced expiratory volume 25, 50, and 75/forced vital capacity (FEV25/FVC, FEV50/FVC, and FEV75/FVC), indicating the deterioration of lung function; 2) enlarged lung alveoli, with lung parenchymal destruction; 3) reduced fatigue time and distance; and 4) increased inflammation. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the ozone exposure (OE) model is a reliable animal model that is similar to humans because ozone overexposure is one of the etiological factors of COPD. Additionally, it only took 6 - 8 weeks, based on our previous work, to create an OE model, whereas it requires 3 - 12 months to induce the cigarette smoke model, indicating that the OE model might be a good choice for COPD research.

This study describes the successful generation of a new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) animal model by repeatedly exposing mice to high concentrations of ozone.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and lung parenchymal destruction. It has a very high ...

Acupoint Needle-Embedding Combined with Ironing Therapy for Postoperative Pain After Anal Surgery

Acupoint needle-embedding combined with ironing therapy is a non-drug treatment method to release postoperative pain after anal surgery. The practice is guided by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation theory and employs acupoint stimulation and heat to alleviate pain. Although prior research has shown that these are dependable methods for pain relief, the combined effect of the two techniques has not been described. In our research, we found that compared to using diclofenac sodium enteric-coated capsules alone, adding acupoint needle-embedding combined with ironing therapy was more effective for reducing pain levels at different stages after hemorrhoid surgery. Although this technique is efficient and commonly used in clinics, due to its invasive practice, acupoint needle embedding still carries risks relating to hospital-acquired infections and broken needles. Ironing therapy, on the other hand, can result in burns and connective tissue injuries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized protocol for medical staff. Our protocol refines the traditional techniques and provides detailed instructions on patient preparation, operation techniques, and postoperative care to ensure the therapy is carried out safely and efficiently. By standardizing this therapy, this technique is expected to become an important complementary therapy for postoperative pain relief&#160;in hemorrhoids, which will significantly improve patients &#39;life quality after anal surgery.

The high incidence of pain after anal surgery is due to the physiological structure and pathological status of the anus. At present, the use of painkillers cannot provide satisfactory pain relief, which makes complementary therapy important. This paper proposes acupoint needle-embedding combined with ironing therapy to relieve postoperative pain.

Acupoint needle-embedding combined with ironing therapy is a non-drug treatment method to release postoperative pain after anal surgery. The practice is ...

Managing Gestational Vomiting with Ear Plaster Therapy

Ear Plaster Therapy as a Safe and Effective Treatment for Gestational Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) are common symptoms that often complicate early pregnancy for many women. While clinical treatments such as fasting, fluid infusion, and nutritional support are conventionally applied to manage NVP, their effectiveness varies. However, traditional ear plaster therapy offers a promising alternative that effectively relieves symptoms and poses no known risk to the development of embryos or fetuses. This therapy is known for its ease of application, cost-effectiveness, and favorable outcomes. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of combining ear plaster therapy with conventional treatments in alleviating symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women, surpassing the results achieved with conventional treatment alone. The protocol presented herein describes a method to relieve NVP using round, smooth, and hard cowherb seeds applied to specific ear points. These seeds are gently rubbed onto the surface of the ear, utilizing the principles of acupressure. By stimulating the designated ear points, this procedure aims to regulate the body's energy flow and restore balance, thereby reducing the severity and frequency of NVP. The application of cowherb seeds on specific ear points is a straightforward technique that healthcare professionals can easily implement or self-administered by pregnant women under appropriate guidance. Overall, ear plaster therapy presents a safe, effective, and economical approach for managing gestational vomiting, offering women a potential solution to alleviate their discomfort during pregnancy.

Author Spotlight: Alleviating Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy with Safe and Effective Auricular Acupuncture 

The presented protocol describes a traditional Chinese medicine treatment procedure known for its safety and effectiveness in managing gestational vomiting.

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) are common symptoms that often complicate early pregnancy for many women. While clinical treatments such as ...

Acupoint Application Combined with Acupoint Massage for Treating Constipation in a Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common and frequent disease in elderly patients, with a tendency for progressive exacerbation. Constipation that reduces the quality of life and triggers the risk of diseases is a common concomitant symptom in patients with COPD. Currently, western medical treatment does not achieve the desired results for patients. A high recurrence rate accompanies it, whereas traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history and rich experience in treating chronic diseases. Both acupoint application and acupoint massage are characteristic therapies of TCM, with minor side effects, high safety, simple operation, and outstanding advantages. They are effective in treating constipation for patients with COPD and are considered an ideal alternative therapy for patients with chronic constipation. The purpose of this article is to introduce the method of acupoint application combined with acupoint massage for the treatment of constipation in patients with COPD, including the selection of points, items, treatment time, and operation procedure.

Here we demonstrate acupoint application combined with acupoint massage for treating constipation in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common and frequent disease in elderly patients, with a tendency for progressive exacerbation. ...

Acupuncture Stimulation of Ears to Alleviate Sleeping Disorders in COPD Patients

Auricular Acupuncture as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Combined with Sleep Disorders

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by persistent and irreversible airflow limitation and chronic respiratory symptoms. It has a wide spectrum of complications, and sleep disorders, as part of it, are common in severe cases, especially in elderly patients. Long-term lack of sleep may lead to the aggravation of the original disease, reducing patients' quality of life. Benzodiazepines are mainly used for symptomatic treatment of COPD combined with sleep disorders. However, such drugs have the side effect of respiratory central inhibition and could probably aggravate hypoxia symptoms. Auricular acupuncture is a special method of treating physical and psychosomatic dysfunctions by stimulating specific points in the ear. This article explains the specific methods of clinical operation of auricular acupuncture in detail, including assessment of patient eligibility, medical devices used, acupuncture points, course of treatment, post-treatment care, responses to emergencies, etc. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment scale (CAT) were used as the observational index of this method. So far, clinical reports have proved that auricular acupuncture has a definite curative effect in the treatment of COPD combined with sleep disorders, and its advantages of simple operation, few adverse reactions are worthy of further study and promotion, which provide a reference for the clinical treatment of such diseases.

Author Spotlight: Utilizing Traditional Chinese Acupuncture of the Ear to Improve Sleep Disorders 

This protocol introduces an effective method to improve the sleep condition of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and alleviate cough symptoms by using auricular acupuncture techniques to percutaneously stimulate specific acupoints in the patients' ears.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by persistent and irreversible airflow limitation and chronic ...

Warm Acupuncture and Moxibustion to Relieve COPD with Abdominal Distension

A Preliminary Study on Warm Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Abdominal Distension

Most patients with COPD have a combination of abdominal distension, which has been shown to adversely affect pulmonary symptoms, frequency of acute exacerbations, and quality of life in patients with COPD. Warm acupuncture and moxibustion have been shown to be effective in relieving symptoms in patients with COPD combined with abdominal distention. Warm acupuncture and moxibustion are highly effective, easy to perform, and inexpensive forms of traditional Chinese medicine treatments. The standardized practice of warm acupuncture and moxibustion is very important for the treatment of COPD combined with abdominal distension. The specific steps include selecting the appropriate acupoints for needling through syndrome differentiation treatment and selecting moxa sticks of appropriate length for moxibustion for about 30 min after the De-qi. The course of treatment lasts for one week. The following indicators are specifically assessed: the score of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and the abdominal distension visual analog scale (VAS). This article will clearly illustrate how to standardize the manipulation of warm acupuncture and moxibustion to relieve COPD combined with abdominal distention.

Author Spotlight: An Effective Traditional Chinese Medicinal Treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Abdominal Distension 

Here, we present a protocol to properly manipulate warm acupuncture and moxibustion for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with abdominal distension.

Most patients with COPD have a combination of abdominal distension, which has been shown to adversely affect pulmonary symptoms, frequency of acute ...

Enhancing Melasma Treatment with Tranexamic Acid and Microneedling Therapy

Roller Microneedle Combined with Tranexamic Acid Solution in Treating Melasma

Melasma, a common, acquired facial pigmentation skin disorder, presents a straightforward clinical diagnosis but poses challenges in terms of effective management. The precise underlying causes of melasma remain elusive, and the current therapeutic approaches predominantly encompass pharmaceutical and laser interventions, with limited efficacy. Transdermal administration stands as a prevalent treatment method for melasma, often facilitated by the application of microneedles. Among these, tranexamic acid emerges as a frequently employed therapeutic agent. A subset of microneedles, known as roller microneedles, plays a significant role in this approach by delicately puncturing the epidermis with multiple fine needles, synergizing with drug delivery. This methodology not only enhances drug absorption but also augments treatment efficacy while minimizing tissue trauma. These attributes forecast promising avenues for the treatment of melasma. This article primarily introduces the combination of roller microneedle and tranexamic acid solution in the treatment of melasma and demonstrates the efficacy of roller microneedle and tranexamic acid solution in the treatment of melasma through clinical cases.

Author Spotlight: Non-Surgical Treatment of Melasma&#8211; Microneedling with Tranexamic Acid

This article presents a protocol to conduct the treatment of melasma by using roller microneedles in combination with tranexamic acid solution and evaluate the efficacy.

Melasma, a common, acquired facial pigmentation skin disorder, presents a straightforward clinical diagnosis but poses challenges in terms of effective ...

Traditional Chinese Medicine Ear Point Therapy for Wheezing in COPD Patients

Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. Due to the restriction of expiratory airflow, it is characterized by emphysematous destruction of the lungs. Shortness of breath is one of the main clinical symptoms. Auricular acupressure is a clinical therapy characteristic of Chinese medicine that treats the disease by compressing ear points. Usually, the seeds of Vaccaria segetalis are used to stimulate ear points, which has the effect of regulating qi and alleviating wheezing. In this paper, we propose this characteristic therapy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the clinical symptoms of wheezing of lung and kidney qi deficiency type in stable COPD patients. Ear points are selected as the treatment protocol for Lung (CO14), Spleen (CO13), Kidney (CO10), Shen Men (TF4), and Ping Chuan (AT1.2.4i) points. The protocol describes a case study using auricular acupressure for a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to relieve wheezing symptoms.

Author Spotlight: Efficacy of Auricular Pressure Bean Therapy in Reducing Wheezing Symptoms

This protocol describes an effective therapy using auricular acupressure to relieve wheezing symptoms in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. Due to the restriction of expiratory airflow, it is characterized by ...

Enhancing CINV Management: Traditional Chinese Medicine Approaches

Acupoint Application Combined with Acupressure as an Adjunctive Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) refers to the nausea and vomiting experienced by patients after the application of chemotherapy drugs, significantly affecting their quality of life and physical recovery, as well as increasing the pain of the patients. Basic medicine primarily focuses on acid suppression, gastric protection, and vomiting suppression, but there are still many patients with nausea and vomiting symptoms that cannot be alleviated. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can effectively alleviate nausea and vomiting through acupoint stimulation and pressure, while also offering advantages such as simplicity, affordability, and fewer side effects. The aim of this article is to introduce the method of using acupoint application combined with acupressure as an adjunctive therapy for CINV, using the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Antiemesis Tool (MAT) tablet scale as a questionnaire. The article details aspects such as acupoint selection, production, and the use of acupoint application, massage techniques, and operating procedures, all with the goal of ensuring the safety and efficacy of acupoint application combined with acupressure as an adjuvant therapy, thereby improving patients&#39; clinical symptoms and quality of life.

Acupoint application combined with acupressure-assisted treatment has a good effect on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and is more convenient and cost-effective.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) refers to the nausea and vomiting experienced by patients after the application of chemotherapy drugs, ...

Acupoint Application Combined with Ear Plaster Therapy for Treating Sleep Disorders with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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