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. 2018 Apr 22:2018:6438458.
doi: 10.1155/2018/6438458. eCollection 2018.

The Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Auricular Acupressure in the Treatment of Chloasma

Xing Wu  1 , Yu Xiang  2
Affiliations

The Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Auricular Acupressure in the Treatment of Chloasma

Xing Wu et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. .

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure in chloasma treatment.

Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled assessor-blind clinical trial was performed and 135 patients were assigned into acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure (A), acupuncture (B), and control (C) groups, each with 45 patients. For groups A and B, body and facial acupuncture were applied for 2 months. For group A, auricular acupressure was applied concomitantly. For group C, vitamins C and E were prescribed for 3 months. Primary outcome measure was the therapeutic effects while secondary outcome measure was safety evaluation.

Results: The total effective rate was 95.6%, 91.1%, and 75.6% for groups A, B, and C (P < 0.01 between groups A and C; P < 0.05 between groups B and C). The posttreatment estradiol (E2) levels in groups A and B were significantly decreased while the progesterone (P4) levels were significantly increased compared to pretreatment (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, resp.). The differences were significant compared to group C (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, resp.). No adverse events occurred.

Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure could significantly increase the therapeutic effect of chloasma treatment and could be better than vitamins C and E.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of study. Note. n: number of patients.
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