title: [Dynamic observation on therapeutic features of thalamic pain by mind calming, blood activating and pain relief acupuncture and carbamazepine].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe therapeutic features of thalamic pain by mind Calming, blood activating and pain relief acupuncture and Carbamazepine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crossover trial design was adopted. Eleven patients with confirmed diagnosis of thalamic pain were randomly assigned to two groups according to the minimal unbalance index method, i.e., Group I (Six patients received acupuncture first and then Western medicine.) and Group II (Five patients received Western medicine first and then acupuncture). The therapeutic course for each group was ten days. There was a ten-day elution phase between the two therapeutic methods. The total therapeutic course was thirty days. Eleven patients were enrolled in the two groups for statistical analysis. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed with visual analogue scale (VAS) and the pain assessment scale of Anderson Cancer Center in the USA (MD Pain Evaluation value) respectively. The VAS and MD values of the two groups were recorded every day to get the dynamic curve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VAS and MD values obviously decreased in the two groups after treatment (P<0.05). The pain curves of the two groups showed a declining trend during the treatment. A gradual and stable descending process was shown in the acupuncture group. But a greater decrease first appeared in the Western medicine group, then a comparatively greater decrease occurred after one platform stage, showing ladder-shaped curve.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cumulative potency may be the main analgesic effects of acupuncture. Western medicine may possibly play a role by rapid initiate effect.
authors.affiliation: The Third Grade Dose-Effect Relationship of Acupuncture Lab, Key Research Room of Acupuncture at Cerebropathy, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Acupuncture in Tianjin, Tianjin 300193. fanxiaonong@163.com
authors.forename: Xiao-nong
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lian-zhong
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002220:Carbamazepine