title: Fifteen-day acupuncture treatment relieves diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
abstract: Our study aimed to investigate the effects of acupuncture on diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We compared 42 cases treated with acupuncture with 21 cases exposed to sham acupuncture and observed the effects on nerve conduction velocity and a variety of subjective symptoms associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Three of the six measures of motor nerves, and two measures of sensory function, demonstrated significant improvement (p < 0.05) over the 15-day treatment period in the acupuncture group, while no motor or sensory function significantly improved in the sham acupuncture group. There were also significant differences in vibration perception threshold between the groups (p < 0.05) and when compared to the baseline levels (p < 0.01) in the acupuncture group. Acupuncture was significantly more effective than sham for treatment of numbness of the lower extremities, spontaneous pain in the lower extremities, rigidity in the upper extremities and alterations in temperature perception in the lower extremities after therapy. Our pilot study has, therefore, provided evidence that acupuncture may be clinically useful for the radical treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Department of Acupuncture, 1478 Gongnong Road, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. tyq1229@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Hongyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D059408:Pain Management; D012677:Sensation; D016896:Treatment Outcome