Can tongue acupuncture enhance body acupuncture? First results from heart rate variability and clinical scores in patients with depression.
Tongue acupuncture (TA) is a method which is not used in western medicine and even in China it is applied very rarely in clinical practice. This study aimed at investigating whether additional TA can improve the efficacy of body acupuncture (BA) in patients with depression. Twenty patients with a mean age of ± SD of 42.9 ± 11.2 years were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10 patients each), one group receiving BA (Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Neiguan, Shenting, Yintang, and Baihui) and the other receiving BA and TA (Liver, Heart, and Brain). The quantitative and qualitative outcome measures were heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and different clinical scores. We found that in both groups all scores and HR improved significantly, whereas HRV increased partly significantly. It seems that TA can enhance acute and treatment effects of BA in patients with depression. The investigation of de qi sensation in TA needs further attention.
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Xian
X
Shi
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Huan
H
Wang
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China ; Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, and TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Lu
0000-0003-1511-7108
L
Wang
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Zengkai
Z
Zhao
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China ; Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, and TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Daniela
0000-0003-1883-3521
D
Litscher
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Jingqiao
J
Tao
Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, and TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Ingrid
0000-0002-9496-2213
I
Gaischek
Private Clinic Laßnitzhöhe, 8301 Laßnitzhöhe, Austria.
Zemin
Z
Sheng
Department of Acupuncture, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China ; Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, and TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Gerhard
0000-0001-6287-0130
G
Litscher