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Whether they occur as a result of physical activity, or a simple action in daily life, sprains are among the most common of all injuries. Sprains are caused by trauma directly to a body joint, which causes it to move into a position for which it was not designed. This can damage the ligaments that surround the joint, and cause pain and swelling. Most sprains are treated with a combination of rest, ice, compression to the area and elevation, but in more severe cases, a sprain may require surgery or immobilization, followed by months of physical therapy.

A recent study examined 72 patients with a variety of sprains to see whether electroacupuncture could decrease pain, increase mobility and hasten a person's return to normal activities faster than traditional acupuncture. Thirty patients were assigned to a control group; the remaining 42 were assigned to an electroacupuncture group. Different points were needled depending on the type of sprain being treated. For lumbar muscle strain, shen shu (UB 23) and zhi bian (UB54) were chosen; for muscle sprains of the posterior thigh, yin men (UB 37) and related a shi points were selected; for posterior calf sprains, yang ling quan (GB 34) and cheng shan (UB 57) were needled; zu san li (ST 36) and yang ling quan were used to treat knee sprains; and zu san li, yang ling quan, jie xi (ST 41) and qiu xu (GB 40) were selected for ankle sprains. All of the points were punctured perpendicularly, with 0.35 mm filiform needles of varying lengths.

In the control group, patients received acupuncture at the abovementioned points, but without electrical stimulation. In the electroacupuncture group, an electrical stimulation device was attached to the needles in pairs, at a frequency between 40 and 80 hertz, depending on the patient's tolerance. Treatment was delivered 20 minutes a day for 10 consecutive days in both groups.

Results showed that while acupuncture without electrical stimulation proved effective in treating more than 80 percent of the patients, those who received electroacupuncture fared even better. Twenty-eight patients in the electroacupuncture group were judged "cured" after treatment, compared to 11 patients in the control group. In addition, acupuncture failed to reduce pain or increase movement in four control patients, while all of the patients in the electroacupuncture group were either cured or showed considerable improvement.

"Acupuncture, when combined with the pulse current of loose-and-dense wave at a low frequency, will produce a more effective stimulus to elevate the pain threshold, decrease the stress on the local nerves, (and) relax the spasm in the muscles and blood vessels," the study's author wrote. The author added that acupuncture, with or without electrical stimulation, can increase local blood circulation, eliminate adhesions and restore elasticity of muscles, which leads to decrease pain and increased range of motion, leading to eventual resolution of a sprain.

Reference

Naiqin G. Treatment of sprain by electroacupuncture. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine June 2003;23(2):119-120.

Also known as the Chinese yam, dioscorea has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Although there are approximately 800 different species of dioscorea, the Chinese yam is native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The plant consists of a climbing vine studded with heart-shaped leaves and small, white flowers that smell like cinnamon. The yam consists of the plant's root, which is thick, spindle-shaped and white on the inside. The yams are harvested in the winter; after the outer bark is removed, the root is washed and allowed to dry in the sun, then rehydrated and cut into thick slices.

Dioscorea contains large amounts of mucilage, which soothe the mucus membranes and can help relieve cough. It is also taken to treat poor digestion; fatigue and diarrhea; weakness; frequent urination; decreased appetite; and wheezing. In traditional Chinese medicine, dioscorea is classified as neutral and sweet. It is used as a tonic and serves to tonify the spleen and stomach; augment the lung yin and tonify lung qi; and stabilize and tonify the kidneys.

The general daily dosage of dioscorea is 10-30 grams of root or 6-10 grams of powder. A tea may also be prepared by steeping slices of yam into boiling water. Overdosing of dioscorea may be potentially poisonous because one of the root's compounds, dioscorin, may have a toxic effect on the body. Dioscorea should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; it should also not be taken if a patient's symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling. In addition, it should not be taken with the herb kan sui. As of this writing, there are no known drug interactions with dioscorea. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking dioscorea or any other dietary supplement or herbal product.

References

Dioscorea. Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Gale Group, 2001.
Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, 1998, pp. 809-810.
Teeguarden R. Radiant Health: The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs. New York: Warner Books, 1998, pp. 186-187.

Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum

The "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum provides a place for interested parties to ask questions about acupuncture and Oriental medicine and have them answered by a licensed acupuncturist. This month's questions:

Question #1: I have read some articles on laser acupuncture, and have some inquiries regarding this technology:

Answer: Laser acupuncture has not been shown to damage the cells. Results from laser acupuncture are mixed. Practitioners who use it claim it will increase the circulation. Most often it is used for ear acupuncture. It is not possible to duplicate needle manipulation with laser light.

Question #2: I will admit to you now that I know little to nothing about acupuncture! I have chronic, severe low back pain due to a herniated disc at L4-5 acquired seven months ago, and I'm very excited to start acupuncture next week! I'm wondering: Will the doctor have trouble treating pain that "bounces?" This is a pain that one day is in a hip, one day is in the tailbone, one day is in the top of the sacrum, etc. Do I have to have pain in just one spot to benefit from acupuncture?

Answer: Your "bouncing" or moving pain could be related to several possibilities involving the kidneys, the liver, some sort of muscle imbalance, etc. You need to meet with an acupuncturist and let them assess your situation. You can try the Acupuncturist Locator on AcupunctureToday.com, or the NCCAOM's website, to find an acupuncturist in your area.

Have a question about acupuncture and Oriental medicine? Visit AcupunctureToday.com's "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum at https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/ask.

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September 2003 [Volume 2, Issue 9] To Your Health is brought to you by:

This issue features a number of articles you will want to share with your family, friends and co-workers. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to them via e-mail. If you have received this e-mail newsletter from someone else, you may subscribe free of charge and begin receiving your own copy by going to: https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/newsletter/TYH/subscribe.php In this issue of To Your Health: Electroacupuncture More Effective Than Needling in Treating Sprains Herb of the Month: Dioscorea Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum Electroacupuncture More Effective Than Needling in Treating Sprains Whether they occur as a result of physical activity, or a simple action in daily life, sprains are among the most common of all injuries. Sprains are caused by trauma directly to a body joint, which causes it to move into a position for which it was not designed. This can damage the ligaments that surround the joint, and cause pain and swelling. Most sprains are treated with a combination of rest, ice, compression to the area and elevation, but in more severe cases, a sprain may require surgery or immobilization, followed by months of physical therapy. A recent study examined 72 patients with a variety of sprains to see whether electroacupuncture could decrease pain, increase mobility and hasten a person's return to normal activities faster than traditional acupuncture. Thirty patients were assigned to a control group; the remaining 42 were assigned to an electroacupuncture group. Different points were needled depending on the type of sprain being treated. For lumbar muscle strain, shen shu (UB 23) and zhi bian (UB54) were chosen; for muscle sprains of the posterior thigh, yin men (UB 37) and related a shi points were selected; for posterior calf sprains, yang ling quan (GB 34) and cheng shan (UB 57) were needled; zu san li (ST 36) and yang ling quan were used to treat knee sprains; and zu san li, yang ling quan, jie xi (ST 41) and qiu xu (GB 40) were selected for ankle sprains. All of the points were punctured perpendicularly, with 0.35 mm filiform needles of varying lengths. In the control group, patients received acupuncture at the abovementioned points, but without electrical stimulation. In the electroacupuncture group, an electrical stimulation device was attached to the needles in pairs, at a frequency between 40 and 80 hertz, depending on the patient's tolerance. Treatment was delivered 20 minutes a day for 10 consecutive days in both groups. Results showed that while acupuncture without electrical stimulation proved effective in treating more than 80 percent of the patients, those who received electroacupuncture fared even better. Twenty-eight patients in the electroacupuncture group were judged "cured" after treatment, compared to 11 patients in the control group. In addition, acupuncture failed to reduce pain or increase movement in four control patients, while all of the patients in the electroacupuncture group were either cured or showed considerable improvement. "Acupuncture, when combined with the pulse current of loose-and-dense wave at a low frequency, will produce a more effective stimulus to elevate the pain threshold, decrease the stress on the local nerves, (and) relax the spasm in the muscles and blood vessels," the study's author wrote. The author added that acupuncture, with or without electrical stimulation, can increase local blood circulation, eliminate adhesions and restore elasticity of muscles, which leads to decrease pain and increased range of motion, leading to eventual resolution of a sprain. Reference Naiqin G. Treatment of sprain by electroacupuncture. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine June 2003;23(2):119-120. Herb of the Month: Dioscorea Also known as the Chinese yam, dioscorea has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Although there are approximately 800 different species of dioscorea, the Chinese yam is native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The plant consists of a climbing vine studded with heart-shaped leaves and small, white flowers that smell like cinnamon. The yam consists of the plant's root, which is thick, spindle-shaped and white on the inside. The yams are harvested in the winter; after the outer bark is removed, the root is washed and allowed to dry in the sun, then rehydrated and cut into thick slices. Dioscorea contains large amounts of mucilage, which soothe the mucus membranes and can help relieve cough. It is also taken to treat poor digestion; fatigue and diarrhea; weakness; frequent urination; decreased appetite; and wheezing. In traditional Chinese medicine, dioscorea is classified as neutral and sweet. It is used as a tonic and serves to tonify the spleen and stomach; augment the lung yin and tonify lung qi; and stabilize and tonify the kidneys. The general daily dosage of dioscorea is 10-30 grams of root or 6-10 grams of powder. A tea may also be prepared by steeping slices of yam into boiling water. Overdosing of dioscorea may be potentially poisonous because one of the root's compounds, dioscorin, may have a toxic effect on the body. Dioscorea should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; it should also not be taken if a patient's symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling. In addition, it should not be taken with the herb kan sui. As of this writing, there are no known drug interactions with dioscorea. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking dioscorea or any other dietary supplement or herbal product. To learn more about the benefits of herbal medicine, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com/herbcentral. References Dioscorea. Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Gale Group, 2001. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, 1998, pp. 809-810. Teeguarden R. Radiant Health: The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs. New York: Warner Books, 1998, pp. 186-187. Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum The "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum provides a place for interested parties to ask questions about acupuncture and Oriental medicine and have them answered by a licensed acupuncturist. This month's questions: Question #1: I have read some articles on laser acupuncture, and have some inquiries regarding this technology: Will the laser harm the body cells? Acupuncture uses needle in order to have blood circulation. By using a laser, will it have such effect as well? There are different ways in which an acupuncturist inserts needles: raising and thrusting; twirling or rotation; a combination of raising/thrusting and rotation; plucking; scraping (vibrations sent through the needle); and trembling (another vibration technique) chosen based on the ailment. By using the laser, will it have such effects? Answer: Laser acupuncture has not been shown to damage the cells. Results from laser acupuncture are mixed. Practitioners who use it claim it will increase the circulation. Most often it is used for ear acupuncture. It is not possible to duplicate needle manipulation with laser light. Question #2: I will admit to you now that I know little to nothing about acupuncture! I have chronic, severe low back pain due to a herniated disc at L4-5 acquired seven months ago, and I'm very excited to start acupuncture next week! I'm wondering: Will the doctor have trouble treating pain that "bounces?" This is a pain that one day is in a hip, one day is in the tailbone, one day is in the top of the sacrum, etc. Do I have to have pain in just one spot to benefit from acupuncture? Answer: Your "bouncing" or moving pain could be related to several possibilities involving the kidneys, the liver, some sort of muscle imbalance, etc. You need to meet with an acupuncturist and let them assess your situation. You can try the Acupuncturist Locator on AcupunctureToday.com, or the NCCAOM's website, to find an acupuncturist in your area. Have a question about acupuncture and Oriental medicine? Visit AcupunctureToday.com's "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum at https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/ask. Unsubscribe Thank you for subscribing to To Your Health. If you have received this newsletter in error or wish to unsubscribe, you may remove your name from our e-mail subscription list at www.acupuncturetoday.com/newsletter/TYH/unsubscribe.php. Update your e-mail address To update the e-mail address your newsletter is sent to, click here. If you have any questions regarding your subscription, please complete this form at www.acupuncturetoday.com/newsletterhelp/TYH.