Acupuncture Continuing Education

Acupuncture Restores Hearing After Sudden Loss

acupuncture hearing

Acupuncture and herbs are effective for the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (Wangjing Hospital) researchers determined that acupuncture combined with herbs restores hearing capabilities. In a two-arm investigation, acupuncture plus herbs outperformed alprostadil combined with mecobalamin for the treatment of SSHL. [1]

Alprostadil is a vasodilator used to improve cardiovascular microcirculation. Mecobalamin is a form of vitamin B12. Acupuncture plus personalized herbal formulas produced better treatment outcomes compared with the medication therapy control group.

Group one received acupuncture plus herbs. For acupuncture, the patients were treated every two days. For herbal medicine, the patients were given different formulas based on their TCM diagnostic patterns. A decoction was made from fresh herbs each day, divided into two parts, and was administered in two servings (one in the morning and one at night). HealthCMi author and presenter Prof. Liao, L.Ac. notes that two servings per day helps to maintain active herbal medicine ingredients in the bloodstream.

Group two received 10 μg of alprostadil (injection, once per day) and 500 μg of mecobalamin (tablets, three times per day). Both treatments lasted for 14 days. The medication group had a 69.70% total effective rate. The acupuncture plus herbs group had a 91.00% total effective rate. The acupuncture point prescription used in the acupuncture plus herbs group included the following acupoints:

  • TB17 (Yifeng)
  • TB21 (Ermen)
  • SI19 (Tinggong)
  • GB2 (Tinghui)
  • TB5 (Waiguan)
  • LI4 (Hegu)
  • ST36 (Zusanli)
  • SP6 (Sanyinjiao)
  • KI3 (Taixi)
  • GB20 (Taichong)
  • GB44 (Zuqiaoyin)

Rapid needle insertion was performed. In the early stage of SSHL, the attenuation (xie) technique was performed. In the late stage of the disease, the mild reinforcement and attenuation (ping bu ping xie) technique was applied. After the arrival of deqi, the needle retention time was 30 minutes.

In addition, herbal formulas were prescribed based on different diagnostic patterns. For external contraction of wind evil (feng xie wai fan), Yin Qiao San was administered in the following modified version:

  • Jin Yin Hua (15 g)
  • Lian Qiao (15 g)
  • Jie Geng (10 g)
  • Fang Feng (10 g)
  • Chai Hu (10 g)
  • Xiang Fu (15 g)
  • Chuan Xiong (10 g)
  • Lu Gen (15 g)
  • Chi Shao (10 g)
  • Ge Gen (15 g)
  • Gan Cao (6 g)
  • Shi Chang Pu (10 g)

For liver fire flaming upward (gan huo shang yan), Long Dan Xie Gan Tang was administered in the following modified version:

  • Long Dan (12 g)
  • Zhi Zi (12 g)
  • Huang Qin (15 g)
  • Dang Gui (15 g)
  • Chai Hu (10 g)
  • Sheng Di Huang (15 g)
  • Ze Xie (10 g)
  • Che Qian Zi (10 g, bagged)
  • Yu Jin (10 g)
  • Shi Chang Pu (10 g)
  • Gan Cao (6 g)
  • Ju Hua (12 g)
  • Bo He (10 g, added last 5 minutes)

For Qi stagnation and blood stasis (qi zhi xue yu), Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang was administered in the following modified version:

  • Chi Shao (10 g)
  • Chuan Xiong (10 g)
  • Dan Shen (10 g)
  • Shi Chang Pu (10 g)
  • Chai Hu (10 g)
  • Hong Hua (6 g)
  • Lian Qiao (10 g)
  • Dang Gui (10 g)
  • Xiang Fu (9 g)
  • Yu Jin (9 g)
  • Lu Lu Tong (9 g)
  • Ge Gen (10 g)
  • Zhi Ke (10 g)
  • Fo Shou (10 g)
  • Gan Cao (6 g)

An independent published investigation reveals biological mechanisms stimulated by acupuncture for patients with SSHL. [2] A total of 50 patients with SSHL were treated and evaluated in this study. Patients receiving acupuncture had a 90.0% total effective rate for the treatment of SSHL. The acupuncture point selection included the following acupoints:

  • TB21 (Ermen)
  • SI19 (Tinggong)
  • GB2 (Tinghui)
  • TB17 (Yifeng)
  • TH3 (Zhongzhu)
  • SP6 (Sanyinjiao)
  • KI3 (Taixi)

For Ermen, Tinggong, and Tinghui, needles were immediately withdrawn after insertion. For the rest of the points, needles were retained for 30 minutes, during which time the mild reinforcement and attenuation manipulation technique was applied every 10 minutes. One course of treatment was comprised of one acupuncture treatment per day, for six days. A one-day break between each course was observed. Patients received three courses of treatment in total.

Blood viscosity, packed cell volume, and other hematological parameters were examined after the end of the acupuncture treatments. The researchers concluded that acupuncture “decreases blood viscosity and increases the deformability of red blood cells, thus preventing local ischemia and hypoxia while promoting local blood circulation and cell recovery for patients with SSHL.” This is important because red blood cell deformability is the capacity for RBCs to get through narrow vascular pathways by deformation in the flow of blood. This research provides both objective and subjective data supporting the use of acupuncture for the treatment of sudden hearing loss.

 

References:
[1] Li M, Shen HQ, Yang Y, et al. (2012). Clinical Observation on Chinese Medicine Combined with Acupuncture for 100 Cases of Sudden Deafness. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 53 (20), 1737-1738.
[2] Wang CH, Yang LW, Wang HC, et al. (2003). Effect of Acupuncture Treatment on Hemorheology in the Patient of Sudden Deafness. Chinese Acupuncture, 023(002), 87-88.

 

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