The potential benefits of acupuncture and Tui Na Are Fantastic
Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of Tui Na as a treatment to spasticity in muscles of stroke patients. The study was conducted to assess the effects of Tui Na on muscular spasticity in stroke survivors. Two groups were randomly chosen from a group of 14 stroke survivors who had intact neurological function. After stroke, they were treated with Tui Na (nontraditional treatment) or regular medical therapy paired with physiotherapy for four months. Researchers performed a rating of muscular and physical weakness at the end of the 4 month period.
Tui Na had significant effects on the mean improvement in disability score (MDS) however, it did not have any effect on the mean muscle function or the muscle function at the conclusion. Conventional treatments included regular corticosteroids, nitroglycerin injections, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, radiofrequency ablations, laser beam therapy and local anesthetics. Six of seven patients who received Tui Na saw improvement (ranging from mild to profound) and eight of nine who received conventional treatments showed no improvement. These results highlight the benefits of Tui Na for stroke recovery, but it is not possible to draw definitive conclusions regarding the effects on cognition, sleep quality and emotional well-being. These areas will be studied in more detail by future studies.
Safety and effectiveness: There were no adverse effects in the acute phase of either group. One post stroke trial gave patients oral medication to treat cervical radiculopathy. Patients in either group did not experience any adverse effects from the drugs. https://controlc.com/b1436fff In one trial, patients who were given the dose of loperamide showed no pain reduction or any reduction in fever or cough. The researchers believe that this medication may be effective in short-term treatment of neck pain, especially among smokers.
Study by Chun et al. Chun and colleagues. reported that acupuncture treatment led to significant improvements in the perception of pain and ability to perform basic physical tasks. Researchers highlighted the importance of large-scale, randomised controlled trials to confirm the efficacy of acupuncture for treating cervical radiculopathy. The researchers concluded that further research is required to confirm the results and determine if acupuncture can be effective in treating cervical radiculopathy. The present data don't suggest that acupuncture is a good option to treat spinal cord injuries.
A meta-analysis carried out by Chung and co. Chung et al. found decreased nerve damage in patients who received Tui Na therapy. Although the effect was not statistically significant (odds –0.40), it was statistically significant (confidence interval: -0.15 to 0.2). This study is significant because of the lack of studies in this field. It isn't known if the improvement in patients was due to acupuncture or the effects of the treatment of the nerves. Nevertheless, Tui Na therapy appears to be an appropriate alternative to conservative treatments in patients who suffer from chronic neck pain, as demonstrated by the higher pain score in the treatment group.
Albers and his colleagues carried out a systematic review that showed that tui Na therapy had positive effects for patients suffering from cervical radiolucopathy. The majority of these studies were conducted in the USA and Canada. There were many participants from different cities, and the quality of the studies was low. The pooled effect was small (pooled effect size -0.15). These studies confirm the efficacy of Chinese medicine in managing chronic pain and disability.
There are many reasons why certain studies are superior or better than others. This includes selection of study design, reporting bias and other bias factors, as well as the characteristics of the treatment arm (whether it was active or placebo). The use of various assessment tools can also lead to variability. The problem with questionnaires in randomised controlled trials, is their lack of reproducibility and inability to accurately assess the potential outcomes. Another potential source of variability is the number of participants treated, since some people are better treated than others, both within arms and between arms.
To conclude, we believe that whilst there are some interesting distinctions between Chinese soft tissue acupuncture and tui-na massage, the evidence is too insufficient to support a convincing argument in either direction. Both treatments can be beneficial particularly when they are combined. We suggest anyone suffering from neck pain or disability should seek advice from their physician. If your symptoms aren't improving, we recommend that you continue to treat them. This will ensure that you receive the best possible treatment without causing more injuries or aggravating your existing problem. If you are seeking more information about how to treat stiff necks and other soft tissue issues, you may like to check out our website.