Bee venom acupuncture (BVA) is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP) through the pharmacological effects of bee venom and the simultaneous stimulation of acupoints. However, evidence of its efficacy and safety in humans remains unclear. Using a double-blind, randomized study, 54 patients with non-specific CLBP were assigned to the BVA and sham groups. All participants underwent six sessions of real or sham BVA for 3 weeks, in addition to administration of 180 mg of loxonin per day. The primary outcome, that is, “bothersomeness” derived from back pain, was assessed using the visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity, dysfunction related to back pain (Oswestry Disability Index), quality of life (EuroQol 5-Dimension), and depressive mood (Beck’s depression inventory). Outcomes were evaluated every week during the treatment period and followed up at weeks 4, 8, and 12. After 3 weeks of the treatment, significant improvements were observed in the bothersomeness, pain intensity, and functional status in the BVA group compared with the sham group. Although minimal adverse events were observed in both groups, subsequent recovery was achieved without treatment. Consequently, our results suggest that it can be used along with conventional pharmacological therapies for the treatment of CLBP.

Prostate cancer remains one of the major causes of death worldwide. In view of the limited treatment options for patients with prostate cancer, preventive and treatment approaches based on natural compounds can play an integral role in tackling this disease. Recent evidence supports the beneficial effects of plant‐derived phytochemicals as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents for various cancers, including prostate cancer. Prunus africana has been used for generations in African traditional medicine to treat prostate cancer. This review examined the potential roles of the phytochemicals from P. africana, an endangered, sub‐Saharan Africa plant in the chemoprevention and chemotherapy of prostate cancer. In vitro and in vivo studies have provided strong pharmacological evidence for antiprostate cancer activities of P. africana‐derived phytochemicals. Through synergistic interactions between different effective phytochemicals, P. africana extracts have been shown to exhibit very strong antiandrogenic and antiangiogenic activities and have the ability to kill tumor cells via apoptotic pathways, prevent the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, and alter the signaling pathways required for the maintenance of prostate cancer cells. However, further preclinical and clinical studies ought to be done to advance and eventually use these promising phytochemicals for the prevention and chemotherapy of human prostate cancer.

Objective. To review the literature and systematically evaluate the effectiveness of Chuna (or Tuina) manual therapy (C[T]MT) on pain and function for musculoskeletal disorders. Methods. We searched 15 English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean databases using relevant keywords. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of C(T)MT for musculoskeletal disorders were considered, and we limited analyses to studies with a low‐risk bias for randomization and/or allocation concealment. Results. Sixty‐six RCTs with 6,170 participants were included. One sham‐controlled RCT showed that C(T)MT relieved pain more effectively than a sham control (SMD −3.09 [−3.59, −2.59]). For active‐controlled RCTs, pooled meta‐analysis showed that C(T)MT had statistically significant effects on pain reduction, especially compared to traction (P < 0.00001), drugs (P = 0.04), and physical therapies (P < 0.0001). For functional improvement, combined effects of C(T)MT with drugs (P = 0.04) and traction (P = 0.05) also showed similar positive effects. Conclusions. This systematic review suggests that C(T)MT is safe and effective for pain reduction and functional improvement for musculoskeletal diseases; however, the evidence for functional improvement was not as strong as for pain reduction. For future studies, high‐quality RCTs such as sham‐controlled studies with standardized interventions are needed to provide sufficient evidence on the effects of C(T)MT for musculoskeletal diseases. Protocol registration number is CRD42016038307 04/07/2016.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in treating insomnia. Patients and Methods: In a multicenter, randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial, 150 patients with DSM-5-diagnosed insomnia with Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores ≥ 15 were randomly assigned to three different groups that underwent 10 sessions of electroacupuncture, sham-electroacupuncture, or usual care for 4 weeks from October 2015 to June 2016 at four Korean medicine hospitals, Republic of Korea. The primary outcome included the ISI score at Week 4; the secondary outcomes included evaluations of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep diary, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), EuroQoL five dimension (EQ-5D), Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), and salivary melatonin and cortisol levels. Assessments were performed at baseline (Week 0) and at Weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. Results: Compared with the usual care group, electroacupuncture group showed a greater improvement in ISI, PSQI, sleep diary-derived variables and HADS and EQ-5D scores at Week 4. The effects mostly persisted until Week 12. There were no significant differences between electroacupuncture and sham-electroacupuncture groups at Week 4 in all outcome measures, except sleep diary-derived sleep efficiency. However, the ISI score showed a significant difference between these groups at Weeks 8 and 12. Treatment success as per PGIC was significantly and borderline higher for electroacupuncture compared with usual care and sham-electroacupuncture, respectively. No significant changes in salivary melatonin and cortisol levels before and after treatment were observed in all groups. No serious adverse events were reported. Blinding was maintained in the sham-electroacupuncture group. Conclusion: Ten sessions of electroacupuncture can improve the sleep quality of patients with insomnia without serious adverse effects. Thus, it can be recommended as an effective, safe, and well-tolerated intervention.

Cancer‐related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common chronic symptoms experienced by cancer patients. As moxibustion is a popular traditional therapy for managing fatigue, it can be an alternative strategy to treat CRF as well. Therefore, we rigorously designed a full‐scale, multicenter, assessor‐blinded, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion treatment for CRF. Ninety‐six subjects suffering from CRF were recruited and randomly assigned to moxibustion group, sham moxibustion group, or usual care group. Both the moxibustion group and the sham group received moxibustion treatment for 8 weeks and the usual care group did not. Brief fatigue inventory (BFI) score and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Fatigue score were used to assess CRF at baseline and weeks 5, 9, and 13. Questionnaires for the assessment of cognitive impairment, quality of life, and Cold–Heat and Deficiency–Excess patterns were also evaluated. BFI scores significantly decreased in moxibustion group compared to the usual care group (mean difference of −1.92, p < 0.001 at week 9 and mean difference of −2.36, p < 0.001 at week 13). Although the sham group also showed significant improvement during the treatment period, only the moxibustion group showed improvement after 4 weeks of follow‐up period (mean difference of −1.06, p < 0.001). There were no serious adverse events. Our findings confirmed the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for CRF compared to usual care. We also found that moxibustion has a prolonged treatment effect during 4 weeks of follow‐up period.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a symptom characterizing cognitive decline and a transitional state between normal aging and dementia; however, there is no definitive diagnosis and treatment for MCI. Neurofeedback (NF), which is a training mechanism that employs operant conditioning to regulate brain activity, has been increasingly investigated concerning its beneficial effects for dementia and MCI. Methods: This study investigated cognitive improvement and hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) following NF training in patients with MCI. Five patients with MCI received NF training for enhanced beta band activity in the dorsolateral PFC—16 sessions for 8 weeks—with each session divided into 9 5-minute trials. The primary outcome measure was a cognitive assessment tool: the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The secondary outcome measures were the Central Nervous System Vital Signs for neurocognitive testing, hemodynamic changes using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the PFC during a working-memory task, and Beck Depression Inventory scores. Results: After completing the training, patients’ cognitive function significantly improved in domains such as composite memory, cognitive flexibility, complex attention, reaction time, and executive function. Increased electroencephalogram beta power was observed over NF training sessions (Spearman rank correlation test: r = 0.746, P = .001). The threshold value for gaining positive feedback from pre-NF baseline on beta power significantly increased (Spearman rank correlation test: r = 0.805, P = .001). Hemodynamic response in PFC changed after NF training, and individual differences were identified. Specifically, hypoactivation of the hemodynamic response by emotional distraction recovered following NF training. Conclusion: We suggest that patients’ cognitive processing efficiency was improved by the NF training. These beneficial results suggest that NF training may have potential therapeutic applications to prevent the progression from MCI to dementia. Trial registration number: Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0003433).