Clinical Observation of Warm Acupuncture in Treating Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

• Published in: Journal of acupuncture and tuina science Vol. 8; no. 5; pp. 287 - 290
• Main Author: 孙远征 徐莺莺
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian 01.10.2010; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Diabetes; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Peripheral neuropathy; Special Topic Study; Velocity; 温针疗法; 神经传导; 糖尿病神经病变; 温针疗法; Warm Needling Method; Neural Conduction; 神经传导; R246.6; Diabetic Neuropathies; 糖尿病神经病变
• ISSN: 1672-3597; 1993-0399
• DOI: 10.1007/s11726-010-0428-6

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of warm acupuncture in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and its effects on the conduction velocity of the tibial nerve and common fibular nerve. Methods Fifty-two subjects were evenly randomized into two groups and treated by conventional therapy; in addition, the control group was given mecobalamin injection at 500 μg, once a day for four weeks, and treatment group was given warm acupuncture, 6 times a week for 4 weeks. The clinical efficacy and the conduction velocity of the tibial nerve and common fibular nerve were observed and compared between the two groups. Results After four-week treatments, the total effective rate was 88.5% in the treatment group and 61.5% in the control group, with a higher rate in the treatment group than in the control group ( P <0.05); the conduction velocity of tibial nerve and common fibular nerve was higher in both groups ( P <0.05), with higher conduction velocity in the treatment group than in the control group ( P <0.05). Conclusion Warm acupuncture is quite effective to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy and to improve nerve velocity.