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KMID : 0363320180390030293
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Journal of Korean Oriental Internal Medicine
2018 Volume.39 No. 3 p.293 ~ p.301
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Pilot Study: Effects of Acupuncture on the Muscle Cramps of Liver Cirrhosis Patients
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Kim Seung-Mo
Kwak Min-Ah
Joo Jeong-Hyun
Kim Kyung-Soon
Shin Im-Hee
Lee Chang-Hyeong
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Abstract
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Objective: The purpose of this clinical trial is to examine the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture on liver cirrhosis patients suffering from muscle cramps.
Methods: A total of 14 liver cirrhosis patients with muscle cramps were treated by electroacupuncture three times a week for four weeks (12 times total). The electrical stimulation was a frequency of 100 Hz. Evaluation of the muscle cramps was measured by a questionnaire of subjective symptoms. The patients’ condition was evaluated four times over a period of eight weeks. We also assessed the deterioration of liver disease using the Child-Pugh score and blood tests.
Results: This study proves that four weeks of electroacupuncture treatment is effective in reducing the frequency of muscle cramps and that the effects of electroacupuncture treatment lasted during another four-week follow-up period after treatment.
Conclusions: This study suggests that electroacupuncture treatment is beneficial for improving muscle cramps in liver cirrhosis patients (p=0.000). Electroacupuncture is thought to be a safe treatment for liver cirrhosis patients with muscle cramps without contributing to the worsening of liver function. Further study with a larger sample size is needed to confirm our findings.
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KEYWORD
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liver cirrhosis, muscle cramp, electroacupuncture
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