Abstract

This early phase study examined the effects of a series of ten standard-protocol acupuncture treatments over four weeks in 12 healthy, but symptomatic, menopausal women. In addition to measuring two biologic markers that may shed light on the physiologic impact of acupuncture, symptom experience data were collected. The two markers included heart rate variability to evaluate effects of acupuncture on the autonomic nervous system as it relates specifically to the heart, and interleukin 6, a proinflammatory cytokine, to capture physiologic impact of acupuncture on the immune-inflammatory response. Women who exhibited significant menopausal symptoms, that included vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and sweats), fatigue, mood disorders, sleep disturbances, urogenital symptoms, and pain as measured by a minimum score of 22 out of a possible 44 points on the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), underwent 10 sessions of a standard acupuncture point protocol intervention over a four-week period. Daily symptoms were evaluated for 28 days using the MRS. Immediately after the intervention was complete, one final open-ended question was asked of each participant to explore subjective experiences not captured by the validated instrument. Physiologic measurements included a 30-minute continuous measure of electrocardiogram data before and during acupuncture, as well as pre and post acupuncture measures of serum interleukin 6 at the first and final acupuncture treatment. Each set of measures were taken at baseline, immediately before and after each acupuncture treatment throughout the four-week/10-treatment intervention. Heart rate variability was assessed using spectral analysis, and interleukin 6 changes were measured using enzyme linked immunoabsorbant assay. Analysis included linear regression, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and Spearman correlation coefficients. After the acupuncture intervention, menopausal symptoms improved significantly. Various elements of heart rate variability did not show consistent or predictable intra or inter-subject changes, however several components of HRV, interleukin 6 and symptoms were found to have significant correlations with each other. The study was deemed feasible. Menopause symptoms improved. Heart rate variability showed no consistent changes or trends. Interleukin 6 decreased in seven subjects, between the first and tenth acupuncture treatment, but did not reach statistical significance. This small project suggests that heart rate variability, when measured at each acupuncture treatment, does not change in a consistent or predictable manner. Rather, acupuncture may provide a modulating influence that depends on the body's functional state at each treatment.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3352634; ProQuest document ID: 304831928. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Dr. Cheryl L. Wright, PhD, FNP

Sigma Membership

Alpha Theta

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quasi-Experimental Study, Other

Research Approach

Pilot/Exploratory Study

Keywords:

Symptoms of Menopause, Alternative Treatments, Inflammation

Advisors

Berg, Judith

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

The University of Arizona

Degree Year

2009

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2020-08-14

Full Text of Presentation

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