The Effects of Laser Acupuncture on Chronic Tension Headache – a Randomised Controlled Trial

Ebneshahidi, Narges Sadat; Heshmatipour, Mojtaba; Moghaddami, Alireza; Eghtesadi‐Araghi, Payam

doi:10.1136/aim.23.1.13

Cited by 61 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Adverse events were not always reported. The efficacy of laser acupuncture has been demonstrated in a variety of medical conditions, [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] but not in depression. Again methodological issues including the depth of transmission of the laser beam have been problematic.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Laser Acupuncture for Mild to Moderate Depression in a Primary Care Setting – a Randomised Controlled Trial

Quah-Smith

Tang²,

Russell

2005

Acupunct Med

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Objective Depression is a major public health problem. There is some evidence supporting the effectiveness of needle acupuncture in its treatment. Laser stimulation, regarded here as a modality of acupuncture, is non-invasive and therefore free of infection risk; and it is acceptable to patients with needle phobia. The technique is relatively easily learned by community-based general practitioners. It is also amenable to sham control and therefore double-blinding in clinical trials. A double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted to test the efficacy of low level laser acupuncture in mild to moderate depression. Methods Thirty patients with depression were randomised to receive either active or inactive laser treatment. The laser unit could be switched to one of two settings. One switch position delivered active laser acupuncture and the other was inactive (sham). In the active mode, 0.5J was delivered to each of six to eight individually tailored acupuncture sites per visit. All patients were treated twice weekly for four weeks then weekly for a further four weeks. The patients and the acupuncturist were both blinded to conditions. Outcome was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory at baseline, weeks four and eight during treatment, and at 4 and 12 weeks following the treatment. Results At the end of the treatment period, Beck Depression Inventory scores fell from baseline by 16.1 points in the intervention group and by 6.8 points in the sham control group (P<0.001). The difference showed only a trend four weeks later, but was again significant after 12 weeks (P=0.007). Laser acupuncture was well tolerated with transient fatigue as the most common adverse effect. Conclusion Laser acupuncture may be worth further investigation as a treatment for mild to moderate depression in primary care.

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confidence: 99%

Laser Acupuncture for Mild to Moderate Depression in a Primary Care Setting – a Randomised Controlled Trial

Quah-Smith

Tang²,

Russell

2005

Acupunct Med

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“…Laser acupuncture has recently been reported effective [Ebneshahidi et al 2005], while acupuncture-like electrical stimulation was not effective [Wang et al 2007]. A recent study reported no effect of greater occipital nerve block in patients with chronic TTH [Leinisch-Dahlke et al 2005].…”

Section: Physical Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Drug and nondrug treatment in tension-type headache

Bendtsen

2009

Ther Adv Neurol Disord

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Tension-type headache (TTH) is a common primary headache with tremendous socioeconomic impact. Establishment of an accurate diagnosis is important before initiation of any treatment. Nondrug management is crucial. Information, reassurance and identification of trigger factors may be rewarding. Psychological treatments with scientific evidence for efficacy include relaxation training, EMG biofeedback and cognitive-behavioural therapy. Physical therapy and acupuncture are widely used, but the scientific evidence for efficacy is sparse. Simple analgesics are the mainstays for treatment of episodic TTH. Combination analgesics, triptans, muscle relaxants and opioids should not be used, and it is crucial to avoid frequent and excessive use of simple analgesics to prevent the development of medication-overuse headache. The tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline is drug of first choice for the prophylactic treatment of chronic TTH. The efficacy is modest and treatment is often hampered by side effects. Thus, treatment of frequent TTH is often difficult and multidisciplinary treatment strategies can be useful. The development of specific nonpharmacological and pharmacological managements for TTH with higher efficacy and fewer side effects is urgently needed. Future studies should also examine the relative efficacy of the various treatment modalities; for example, psychological, physical and pharmacological treatments, and clarify how treatment programs should be optimized to best suit the individual patient.

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“…Métodos alternativos à inserção das agulhas vêm despertando interesses, sendo estudados os estímulos efetuados pela radiação laser, campos magnéticos contínuos (imãs) e campos eletromagnéticos de radiofrequência (14)(15)(16)(17). Acreditamos que os estímulos produzidos por correntes elétricas se aproximem mais da natureza bioelétrica dos acupontos, podendo apresentar uma probabilidade maior de respostas por parte destes.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Ação da TENS acupuntural em acupontos na dor induzida pela hipotermia local (0-2º C)

et al. 2010

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ResumoIntrodução: A dor é um fenômeno multidimensional que dificulta o desenvolvimento das atividades cotidianas. A aplicação de estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation -TENS) está entre uma das modalidades mais usadas para o tratamento da dor. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar se a TENS acupuntural (baixa frequência) influencia a dor aguda produzida pela hipotermia local em indivíduos saudáveis, quando os eletrodos estão localizados nos acupontos TA5 e CS6 e na aplicação placebo. Metodos: Trinta e dois voluntários, de ambos os gêneros, foram alocados, aleatoriamente, nos grupos TENS e placebo. O estudo consistiu em três momentos: hipotermia sem eletroanalgesia, hipotermia com eletroanalgesia ou placebo, e hipotermia pós-eletroanalgesia ou

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The Effects of Laser Acupuncture on Chronic Tension Headache – a Randomised Controlled Trial

Cited by 61 publications

References 27 publications

Laser Acupuncture for Mild to Moderate Depression in a Primary Care Setting – a Randomised Controlled Trial

Laser Acupuncture for Mild to Moderate Depression in a Primary Care Setting – a Randomised Controlled Trial

Review: Drug and nondrug treatment in tension-type headache

Ação da TENS acupuntural em acupontos na dor induzida pela hipotermia local (0-2º C)

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