The Public Perceptions on Wet Cupping Therapy (Hijama) in Saudi Arabia

Suhaib Ibrahim Alkhamaiseh^1,2,*, Amjad H. Bazzari³, Abdel Hadi Al jafari¹, Firas H. Bazzari¹

J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2023; 16(5): 176-182 https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.5.176

Background: Wet cupping (Hijama), a form of alternative medicine, is widely practiced in Middle Eastern countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Although considerable effort has been put into increasing public awareness about the safe and proper practice of wet cupping, studies on the attitudes, knowledge, and awareness levels of the Saudi Arabian public are lacking.Objectives: This study evaluated public attitudes toward the effectiveness, safety, and expected standards of practicing wet cupping. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire and involved 909 complete responses. The respondents were Saudi adults with a mean age of 30.43 ± 11.4 years (males: 42.1%, females: 57.9%). Results: The study revealed that most participants believed that although wet cupping is a beneficial (84.6%), well-known form of alternative medicine (82.4%) without harmful side effects (63.9%), it is not suitable for treating all diseases (72.3%) or everyone (66.8%). Most participants prefer wet cupping to be done at specialized centers (84.6%) by practitioners with confirmed qualifications (88.6%) using valid and sterile instruments (88.9%). The main demographic factor influencing participant responses was age, which was associated with more positive perceptions. Female, single, college-educated, and middle-aged respondents had more cautious attitudes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that Saudis support the use of wet cupping as an alternative medicine for select diseases and that individuals have adequate awareness of the practice’s safety standards to avoid potential risks.

Effect of Acupressure at PC6 on Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Melike Pündük Yılmaz^1,*, Saadet Yazıcı², İsmail Yılmaz³

J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2023; 16(3): 89-94 https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.3.89

Background: Nausea and vomiting are among the most common medical problems during pregnancy, affecting 80% of mothers.Objectives: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study to determine the effect of acupressure applied by a wristband to the pericardium 6 (PC6) point on nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.Methods: The study population consisted of 74 pregnant women between 6-14 weeks of gestation who were experiencing nausea and vomiting. The study data was collected with personal information from the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis Scale (PUQE). Experimental and control groups were selected by a simple random method. The experimental group wore acupressure wristbands for one week, while the control group did not use any method to alleviate nausea and vomiting. One week later, the PUQE scale was applied to both groups.Results: The acupressure wristbands decreased the nausea and vomiting scores of the pregnant women in the experimental group without statistical significance but did not change the nausea and vomiting scores of the pregnant women in the control group.Conclusion: Acupressure wristbands can be used to prevent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

Lipid Profile Response to Acupuncture in Obese Patients with Subjective Tinnitus: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Ali Mohamed Ali Ismail*

J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2023; 16(1): 11-19 https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.1.11

Background: Blood lipid levels have been reported as novel biomarkers for chronic subjective tinnitus (CST), with their levels being higher in patients with CST.Objectives: This trial aimed to determine the change in lipid profile and tinnitus-related quality of life (TR-QoL) responses to 8-week acupuncture treatment in patients with CST.Methods: Sixty obese patients with CST were randomly assigned to group A (treatment group; n = 30; mean age = 44.10 ± 3.69 years) or group B (sham group; n = 30; mean age = 45.53 ± 3.62 years). Patients in group A (n = 30) received manual stimulation at the TE3, TE5, TE17, TE18, TE19, TE20, TE21, TE22, GB2, GB8, GB20, LI4, LI11, KI3, SP6, ST36, CV4, CV9, and CV12 acupoints through in-site acupuncture needles thrice weekly. Furthermore, the bilateral abdominal ST25 and GB28 acupoints were electrically stimulated through in-site acupuncture needles. Group B (n = 30) received the same acupuncture protocol as group A but the insertion of needles was a sham insertion. Anthropometrics such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), TR-QoL (assessed via tinnitus handicap inventory), blood lipid levels such as high-density lipoprotein (HDL_s), low-density lipoprotein (LDL_s), cholesterol (C), and triglycerides (TG_s), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for tinnitus severity, were assessed prospectively.Results: Only group A showed significant within-group improvements. Except for HDL_s, BMI, and WC, unpaired between-group comparisons showed significantly greater improvements in other outcome measures of all patients with tinnitus (TR-QoL, LDL_s, TG_s, C, and VAS) in group A than in group B.Conclusion: Safe acupuncture treatment not only improves anthropometrics and TR-QoL, but also helps resolve hyperlipidemia and reduces the severity of tinnitus in obese patients with CST.

Effect of Acupressure at PC6 on Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Melike Pündük Yılmaz^1,*, Saadet Yazıcı², İsmail Yılmaz³

J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2023; 16(3): 89-94 https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.3.89

Background: Nausea and vomiting are among the most common medical problems during pregnancy, affecting 80% of mothers.Objectives: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study to determine the effect of acupressure applied by a wristband to the pericardium 6 (PC6) point on nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.Methods: The study population consisted of 74 pregnant women between 6-14 weeks of gestation who were experiencing nausea and vomiting. The study data was collected with personal information from the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis Scale (PUQE). Experimental and control groups were selected by a simple random method. The experimental group wore acupressure wristbands for one week, while the control group did not use any method to alleviate nausea and vomiting. One week later, the PUQE scale was applied to both groups.Results: The acupressure wristbands decreased the nausea and vomiting scores of the pregnant women in the experimental group without statistical significance but did not change the nausea and vomiting scores of the pregnant women in the control group.Conclusion: Acupressure wristbands can be used to prevent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

Lipid Profile Response to Acupuncture in Obese Patients with Subjective Tinnitus: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Ali Mohamed Ali Ismail*

J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2023; 16(1): 11-19 https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.1.11

Background: Blood lipid levels have been reported as novel biomarkers for chronic subjective tinnitus (CST), with their levels being higher in patients with CST.Objectives: This trial aimed to determine the change in lipid profile and tinnitus-related quality of life (TR-QoL) responses to 8-week acupuncture treatment in patients with CST.Methods: Sixty obese patients with CST were randomly assigned to group A (treatment group; n = 30; mean age = 44.10 ± 3.69 years) or group B (sham group; n = 30; mean age = 45.53 ± 3.62 years). Patients in group A (n = 30) received manual stimulation at the TE3, TE5, TE17, TE18, TE19, TE20, TE21, TE22, GB2, GB8, GB20, LI4, LI11, KI3, SP6, ST36, CV4, CV9, and CV12 acupoints through in-site acupuncture needles thrice weekly. Furthermore, the bilateral abdominal ST25 and GB28 acupoints were electrically stimulated through in-site acupuncture needles. Group B (n = 30) received the same acupuncture protocol as group A but the insertion of needles was a sham insertion. Anthropometrics such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), TR-QoL (assessed via tinnitus handicap inventory), blood lipid levels such as high-density lipoprotein (HDL_s), low-density lipoprotein (LDL_s), cholesterol (C), and triglycerides (TG_s), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for tinnitus severity, were assessed prospectively.Results: Only group A showed significant within-group improvements. Except for HDL_s, BMI, and WC, unpaired between-group comparisons showed significantly greater improvements in other outcome measures of all patients with tinnitus (TR-QoL, LDL_s, TG_s, C, and VAS) in group A than in group B.Conclusion: Safe acupuncture treatment not only improves anthropometrics and TR-QoL, but also helps resolve hyperlipidemia and reduces the severity of tinnitus in obese patients with CST.

Effect of Acupuncture on Physical Symptoms and Quality of Life in Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder: a Single-Arm Longitudinal Study

Yuto Matsuura^1,*, Seiji Hongo², Hiroshi Taniguchi¹, Fumiko Yasuno¹, Tomomi Sakai¹

J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2022; 15(6): 336-346 https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2022.15.6.336

Background: Acupuncture is a non-pharmacological therapy used clinically for mood disorders. Relief of physical symptoms with acupuncture treatment may lead to relief of depressive symptoms and improvement of quality of life (QoL). Few studies have examined the effect of acupuncture on the physical symptoms and QoL of patients with mood disorders.Objectives: To examine the effect of acupuncture on physical symptoms and QoL of patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD).Methods: This prospective, single-arm, longitudinal study included patients with MDD and BD from an outpatient psychiatric clinic. Acupuncture was performed weekly for 12 weeks in combination with regular treatment, with fixed acupoints and individualized treatment for each patient. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated using the Himorogi Self-Rating Depression Scale (HSDS) and Himorogi Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (HSAS). Physical symptoms such as physical pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep disorders were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). QoL was evaluated using the 8-item Short-Form (SF-8) Health Survey.Results: A total of 36 patients (15 MDD and 21 BD patients) were analyzed. After 12 weeks of acupuncture, HSDS and HSAS scores significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Physical symptoms evaluated using SSS-8 and VAS scores also significantly improved (p < 0.05). In particular, neck pain and insomnia improved at an early stage. Among the SF-8 subscales, scores of bodily pain, general health perception, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health significantly increased (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Acupuncture may improve not only psychiatric symptoms but also physical symptoms and QoL in patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders. Further studies are required for confirmation of the preliminary data collected thus far.