Electrical Stimulation of Auricular Acupressure for Dry Eye: A Randomized Controlled-Clinical Trial

• 来源期刊: 中国结合医学杂志（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2017,（11）
• 页码范围: 822-828
• 页数: 7页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1007/s11655-016-2449-6

摘要

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of electrical stimulation (ES) of auricular acupressure on reducing the ocular symptoms and signs before and after treatment for dry eye.Methods:The inclusion criteria were the tear film break-up time (TFBUT) below 5 s and a Schirmer test-Ⅰ below 5 mm in dry eyes with ocular symptoms for at least 6 months.Subjects were randomized into a treatment group (50 cases) with continuous low frequency ES under auricular acupressure at acupoints and a no ES under auricular acupressure (no-ES,control group,50 cases) on the same acupoints.Auricular acupressure were stimulated with ES at 4 master points of both ears,which were performed twice a week for 4 weeks at each point for 30 s.The ocular symptoms,the TFBUT,and Schirmer test-Ⅰ were evaluated before and after this procedure.Results:There were significantly better scores in TFBUT (P=0.032),the Schirmer test-Ⅰ (P=0.044) and ocular symptoms (P=0.029) at 3 months post-treatment in the treatment group than in the control group.The total effective rate in the treatment group was accomplished in 41 (82％) of the 50 cases of dry eye.Conclusions:Auricular acupressure with ES at auricular acupoint improves ocular symptoms and signs of dry eye for a period of at least 3 months.