Efficacy of Acupuncture Combined With Moving Cupping and Ear Point Tapping for Moderate and Severe Acne Vulgaris

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Acne Vulgaris

Treatments: Procedure: 3 times per week therapeutic frequency; Procedure: 1 time per week therapeutic frequency

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03264287

GAMHospital20170301

Details and patient eligibility

About

This trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy of different frequencies in treating the moderate and severe acne vulgaris using acupuncture combined with moving cupping and ear point tapping.

Full description

Background: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease, especially in adolescents and young adults. Acne affects approximately 85% of teenagers, but can occur in most age groups and can persist into adulthood. There is no mortality associated with acne, but there is often significant physical and psychological morbidity. Acupuncture combined with moving cupping and ear point tapping may effectively relieve the skin lesions, but the evidence is limited. Also, young patients usually have no time to see the doctor frequently, thus it's necessary to figure out a better frequency of treating.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 15 to 35 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosed as acne vulgaris.
• GAGS score between 19 and 38 points.
• Age of 15 to 35 years.

Exclusion criteria

• Other types of acne: acne conglobate, acne fulminans，acne medicamentosa, premenstrual acne，cosmetic acne and trade acne.

• Presence of any other systemic disease that could affect the acne severity by its presence, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or thyroid diseases, or atypical congenital adrenal hyperplasia；or by any medication prescribed for the treatment of the systemic diseases.

  -- Use of any topical acne treatment or systemic antibiotics or traditional Chinese medicine within 2 weeks before study initiation. Use of a systemic retinoid within 9 months before study initiation. Use of a systemic steroid within 9 months before study initiation. Presence of any change in the use of oral contraceptive pills or anti-inflammatory drugs within 3 months before study initiation.

• Presence of any other skin disease that could interfere with the assessment of the acne, such as folliculitis or rosacea.

• Presence of severe heart, liver, kidney or hematopoietic system diseases, as well as severe malnutrition.

• Pregnancy or lactation.

• Recent use of this research scheme within 4 weeks before study initiation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

3 times per week therapeutic frequency

Experimental group

Description:

1.Acupuncture: GV20, LU5, LI11, LI4,GV14,BL13, ST2, BL2,ST7,ST6 and ashi point on the face. * Huatuo Brand needle (0.20\*13mm) will be used for GV14, BL13, ST2, BL2, ST7, ST6 and ashi point on the face. Huatuo Brand needle (0.3\*40mm) will be used for GV20, LU5, LI11 and LI4. 2.Moving capping: Du Meridian (from GV14 to GV3) as well as the first (from BL11 to BL28) and second (from BL41 to BL53) side lines of the Urinary Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang. * Guoyiyan Brand cupping jar (size 4) will be used. 3.Ear point tapping: Lung (CO14), Heart (CO15), Stomach (CO4), Neifenmi (CO18), Pizhixia (AT4). * Huatuo Brand, made by the seed of Vaccaria segetalis ( Neck.)Garcke.

Treatment:

Procedure: 3 times per week therapeutic frequency

1 time per week therapeutic frequency

Active Comparator group

Description:

The acupoints and treating procedures will be the same as the 3 times per week group. Only treating frequency is different. The treating frequency is 1 time per week. 1. Acupuncture: GV20, LU5, LI11, LI4,GV14,BL13, ST2, BL2,ST7,ST6 and ashi point on the face. 2. Moving capping: Du Meridian (from GV14 to GV3) as well as the first (from BL11 to BL28) and second (from BL41 to BL53) side lines of the Urinary Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang. 3. Ear point tapping: Lung (CO14), Heart (CO15), Stomach (CO4), Neifenmi (CO18), Pizhixia (AT4). * Use the seed of Vaccaria segetalis ( Neck.)Garcke.

Treatment:

Procedure: 1 time per week therapeutic frequency