An Acupoint Catgut-embedding Therapy for Treating Obesity

Summary

Here, we propose a specialized Chinese medicine treatment protocol to manage obesity. This treatment achieves weight loss by implanting absorbable surgical sutures into specific acupuncture points.

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic and complex disease caused by excessive fat deposition, which can lead to multiple complications. It affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds, contributing to a growing public health crisis worldwide. In modern medicine, the available treatments for obesity include drugs, behavioral modifications, and surgical procedures. However, their efficacy is often unsatisfactory and may be accompanied by various side effects. In contrast, Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a wide range of treatment options, including herbal tonics, acupuncture, tuina, acupoint catgut-embedding therapy, and more. Among these, acupoint catgut-embedding therapy has emerged as a popular choice for weight management due to its effectiveness, convenience, affordability, and minimal adverse effects. It involves the insertion of absorbable sutures into acupoints, stimulating the body's natural healing processes and enhancing metabolic function. The gradual absorption of the sutures over time provides a sustained therapeutic effect, allowing for prolonged benefits without the need for continuous treatment sessions. Whether used alone or in conjunction with other therapies, acupoint catgut-embedding therapy exemplifies the benefits of integrative medicine and its potential to empower individuals on their journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Aiming to visualize this ethnic medicine theory and promote its effective inheritance, we detail the acupoint catgut-embedding therapy method for weight loss, covering acupuncture points selection, materials, procedures, and precautions.

Introduction

Obesity is a complex, chronic metabolic disease characterized primarily by an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, which leads to excessive fat accumulation and abnormal distribution^1,2. Obesity not only affects appearance and quality of life, but it also increases the risk of a number of serious health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain types of cancer^3,4,5. According to the World Health Organization, the number of obese adults worldwide has more than doubled sin....

Protocol

The clinical trial had been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NO.2021KL-078). In this study, the diagnostic criteria for simple obesity were defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m², with no other underlying medical conditions contributing to the obesity, in line with the Guideline for Primary Care of Obesity (2019)¹⁶, and the acupoint catgut-embedding operation referred to the Standardized Manipulations of Acupuncture and Moxibustion - Part 10: Thread-embedding Therapy (GB/T21709.10-2008)¹⁷. This study included typical cases of obesity....

Results

This study introduces the operational method of acupoint catgut-embedding therapy for patients with obesity. In this study, 20 eligible patients participated and completed the trial. The same diagnostic criteria were applied to all patients. The same acupoint catgut-embedding therapy was performed on all patients by the same operator. Patients' weight, BMI, WC, HC, WHR, and BFP were measured before and after treatment (after the second course).

Discussion

Obesity is a multifactorial disease whose etiology is influenced by the endocrine system, adipocyte function, and inflammatory responses. The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus contains a variety of appetite-regulating neurons. These neurons control feeding behavior for the maintenance of whole-body energy balance²⁰. Interactions between insulin, leptin, and thyroid hormones regulate the energy expenditure²¹. Therefore, any factor that leads to neuroendocrine abnormalities.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Absorbable surgical sutures	Hangzhou Aipu Medical Instrument Co., Ltd.	National Medical Device Registration No. 20173023011
Band-aid	Nantong City YOJO Medical Products Co., Ltd.	240801
Body composition analyzer	Beijing Donghuayuan Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.	DBA-510
Disposable catgut embedding needles	Zhenjiang Gaoguan Medical Instrument Co., Ltd.	Jiangsu Medical Device Registration No. 20162201059
Disposable medical examination gloves	Shanghai Kebang Medical Latex Equipment Co., Ltd.	Shanghai Medical Device Registration No. 20192140394
Medical absorbent cotton	Xuzhou Xinjiekang Hygienic Materials Co., Ltd.	Jiangsu Medical Device Registration No. 20172141055
Medical scissors	Zhuji Pengtian Medical Devices Co., Ltd.	Zhejiang Medical Device Registration No. 20232181918
Medical tweezers	Yangzhou Yurun Technology Development Co., Ltd.	Jiangsu Medical Device Registration Certificate No. 20152021351
Povidone-iodine disinfectant	Sichuan Yijieshi Medical Technology Co., Ltd.	230806
Surgical gauze dressing	Shandong Angyang Medical Technology Co., Ltd.	Shandong Medical Device Registration No. 20152140569