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Study on methodology about clinical effect of single point acupuncture in patients with hypertension  

Son, Yang-Sun (Dept. of Meridian & Acupoint, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University)
Yeo, Soo-Jung (Dept. of Meridian & Acupoint, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University)
Kim, Yoon-Ju (Dept. of Meridian & Acupoint, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University)
Park, You-Sun (Dept. of Meridian & Acupoint, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University)
Lim, Sabina (Dept. of Meridian & Acupoint, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University)
Publication Information
Korean Journal of Acupuncture / v.29, no.1, 2012 , pp. 23-36 More about this Journal
Abstract
Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate effective treatment point selection method using oppressive pain in acupoints as elementary attempt for standard methodology of clinical acupuncture studies. Methods : Twenty seven subjects with hypertension or within prehypertension category - systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) over 120/80mmHg - were divided into two groups, oppressive pain point treatment group and oppressive painless point treatment group. In oppressive pain point treatment group, single point acupuncture (SPA) was conducted for 16 sessions during 8 weeks on most oppressive painful point among 6 selected acupuncture points used in previous trials and clinic. As a SPA intervention, 15 minutes with deqi sensation- elevating manipulation was conducted on the treatment acupoint. Same process was conducted in oppressive painless point treatment group on most oppressive painless point with subject blinding. Results : Significant reduction was observed in both systolic and diastolic BP after short time intervention (15.5/8.8 mmHg, 10.7/7.1 mmHg, P<0.05, respectively at 1 week) and maintained for 8 weeks intervention period in all groups (12.8/8.0 mmHg, 19.4/12.6 mmHg, P<0.05, respectively). No significant difference of BP change between oppressive pain point treatment group (N=10) and oppressive painless point treatment group (N=9) was observed during 8 weeks study period. Conclusions : SPA treatment as used in this pilot study was effective for lowering BP in mild hypertensive population, but oppressive pain in acupoint had no effect on treatment. This present result suggests the possibility of SPA for hypertension treatment regardless of oppressive pain.
Keywords
acupuncture; standard methodology; blood pressure; oppressive pain;
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