Acupoint Catgut Embedding Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Managing Allergic Rhinitis
December 20th, 2024
This protocol details the procedure for acupoint burrowing and demonstrates its effectiveness in treating allergic rhinitis.
Allergic rhinitis is a condition known for its challenging treatment and the tendency to persist. This experiment explores the therapeutic effect of acupoint catgut embedding on AR and standardizes the operation of ACE based on this. Although western medicine's means of treating AR have been enriched in recent years, the disadvantages of side effects still exist.
At the same time, traditional acupuncture treatment of AR has also been recognized around the world. Compared with other western medicines for AR, acupoint catgut embedding can avoid the side effects of western medicine, and compared with traditional acupuncture, acupoint catgut embedding has a longer curative effect and longer stimulation time. After completing the preoperative procedure, cut the PDO thread and insert the 0.5 centimeter wire into the needle end of the embedding needle.
Then, position the patient in a supine position. Using tweezers, hold iodine cotton swabs, and disinfect the left Yingxiang point and its surrounding area. Now, hold the needle in the right hand by gripping the handle with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
With the left hand, create a gap between the cheek and nose using the index finger and thumb to facilitate needle insertion. Simultaneously, pinch a dry gauze between the ring and pinky fingers. Using the right hand, quickly pierce the skin with the needle tip.
Slowly push the end of the needle body with the thumb to embed the thread in the acupoint, and then gradually withdraw the needle. After removing the needle, press the needle hole with a dry gauze to prevent bleeding. Then, sterilize the entire needle using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.
Load the PDO thread into the acupoint embedding needle. Identify the left Hegu point and disinfect the acupoint and the surrounding area in a circular motion. Quickly pierce the skin with the needle tip and slowly push the end of the needle body to embed the thread in the acupoint.
Then, gradually withdraw the needle and press the needle hole with a dry gauze to prevent bleeding. After removing the needle, instruct the patient to remain resting in a supine position for at least 15 minutes to prevent any adverse reactions. No significant difference was observed in the pre-treatment total VAS scores, individual symptom VAS scores, or RQLQ scores between groups A and B.Within group comparisons showed a statistically significant reduction in VAS and RQLQ scores from pre-treatment to four weeks and eight weeks post-treatment in groups A and B.Statistically significant differences were found in the VAS and RQLQ scores between pre-treatment and post-treatment at both four and eight weeks in each group.
Overview
This protocol details the procedure for acupoint burrowing and demonstrates its effectiveness in treating allergic rhinitis. The study highlights the advantages of acupoint catgut embedding over traditional and western treatments.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Neuroscience
- Alternative Medicine
- Allergy Treatment
Background
- Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a persistent condition with challenging treatment options.
- Western medicine treatments for AR can have side effects.
- Traditional acupuncture is recognized globally but may have shorter effects.
- Acupoint catgut embedding offers a longer curative effect and stimulation time.
Purpose of Study
- To explore the therapeutic effect of acupoint catgut embedding on allergic rhinitis.
- To standardize the operation of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE).
- To compare ACE with traditional acupuncture and western medicine treatments.
Methods Used
- Preoperative procedures for acupoint catgut embedding.
- Insertion of PDO thread into the embedding needle.
- Evaluation of treatment effectiveness on allergic rhinitis.
- Comparison of side effects with western medicine.
Main Results
- Acupoint catgut embedding showed effectiveness in treating AR.
- Longer stimulation time compared to traditional acupuncture.
- Reduced side effects compared to western medicine treatments.
- Standardized procedure enhances reproducibility of results.
Conclusions
- Acupoint catgut embedding is a viable alternative for treating allergic rhinitis.
- It offers benefits over both traditional acupuncture and western medicine.
- Further research may solidify its role in clinical practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
Standardized acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) offers a reproducible, non-pharmacological intervention for allergic rhinitis, addressing the need for durable symptom control without the adverse effects of conventional therapies. By integrating quantitative clinical and laboratory endpoints, this protocol supports robust target validation and mechanistic de-risking in translational research. The approach enhances predictive confidence for non-drug modalities in allergy management portfolios.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables hypothesis-driven evaluation of immune modulation via acupoint stimulation.
- Supports mechanistic de-risking by correlating clinical outcomes with immunological biomarkers (sIgE, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12).
- Facilitates functional target validation for non-pharmacological interventions in chronic inflammatory conditions.
Screening & Assay Development
- Establishes standardized patient preparation and procedural steps for reproducible intervention studies.
- Incorporates validated quantitative endpoints (VAS, RQLQ) for consistent outcome measurement.
- Enables cross-study comparability and assay readiness for future intervention screening.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Aligns clinical symptom scores with laboratory biomarkers to support translational continuity.
- Provides a framework for integrating patient-reported outcomes and immunological data in preclinical-to-clinical workflows.
- Supports risk-adjusted advancement of non-drug therapies in allergy pipelines.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
ACE is positioned at the interface of early clinical validation and translational research, bridging discovery biology and patient-centered outcome measurement in allergic rhinitis.
- Discovery Biology: Quantitative assessment of immune modulation through specific cytokine and IgE measurements.
- Screening: Standardized VAS and RQLQ scoring enable reproducible evaluation of intervention efficacy.
- Analytics: Statistical comparison of pre- and post-intervention data supports robust decision-making.
- Translational Research: Integration of clinical and laboratory endpoints facilitates biomarker alignment and translational continuity.
- Enterprise Reuse: Protocol standardization allows adaptation across allergy and immune modulation research portfolios.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Enhances predictive confidence and reduces mechanistic ambiguity in non-drug allergy interventions.
- Operational Value: Promotes reproducibility, standardization, and scalability in clinical research workflows.
- Strategic Value: Informs go/no-go decisions for non-pharmacological therapies and optimizes resource allocation.
- Portfolio Impact: Supports risk-adjusted prioritization of innovative, patient-centered treatment modalities.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires clinical expertise in both acupuncture and standardized procedural techniques.
- Demands access to validated clinical scoring systems and laboratory immunoassays.
- Necessitates rigorous cross-team training to ensure procedural consistency and data integrity.
- Adaptation across diverse patient populations and allergy subtypes may require protocol refinement.
- Invasive nature introduces infection risk, mandating strict aseptic technique and postoperative monitoring.
