Purpose: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture therapy on patients with retinitis-pigmentosa.Methods: This was a prospective, interventional, self-control, case series study of 43 eyes of 23 RP subjects, each receiving 10 half-hour body acupuncture sessions with a standardized protocol. Pre- and post-treatment tests included BCVA, UCVA, NVA (Snellen chart), perimetry (Humphry perimeter), and full-field ERG (Metrovision-Monopack system). Statistical testing was carried out by SPSS-19. P-value0.05 was considered statistically significant. The samples were selected using convenient sampling.Results: In the UCVA, BCVA and NVA tests, improvements after the acupuncture therapy were statistically and clinically significant (p=0.048, p=0.0005 and p=0.002, respectively). Moreover, in the perimetry test, the changes of mean Foveal threshold (MFT) and mean deviation (MD) were statistically, but not clinically, significant (p=0.031 and p=0.02, respectively). In the ERG variables, changes in the scotopic b/a ratio and photopic b/a ratio were significant clinically, although not significant statistically. There was no statistically significant difference between different age groups and sexes. Subjective symptoms of improvement were observed in almost all the cases.Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy can be advantageous to retinitis pigmentosa patients’ visual function improvement.

Introduction: Due to importance of duration of labor, this study investigates the effects of acupuncture on duration of labor. Prolonged labor causes of maternal and neonatal complications, prenatal mortality & high CS. By inserting specific needles into particular spots of the body, acupuncture cases reduction duration of labor. By instigating Oxytocine, labor duration is shorter.Objective: Evaluation of influence of acupuncture on duration of labor. Materials and Methods: The present study was accomplished on 60 pregnant women who had referred to some of Tehran hospitals for their childbirth. First of all, the qualified pregnant women were entered into the study by the answers that had given to questionnaire No.1. Then these 60 women were divided into two groups of 30, a true acupuncture (group A) a false acupuncture group (group B). In the group A, 12 spots acupuncture in the active phase of labor were used and in the group B, 6 hypothetical spots were used to reduce duration. Results: The mean time of first phase of delivery in  group A was 169.6 minutes and in group B was 165.3 minutes indicating no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.297). The mean time of second phase of delivery in group A was 33 minutes and in group B was 31.67 minutes which indication no significant difference between the two groups too (p=0.167). On the other hand, as for the rate of oxytocine reception during the delivery time, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups, that is, 15 women out of the group A and 23 women out of group B had used oxytocine (p=0.03).Conclusion: The results of research indicate that acupuncture does not influence on delivery and neonatal. Acupuncture has no influence on labor duration in both group A and group B. It reduces need to Oxytocine in labor.

Background: Urticaria is very common and most of the current treatments are only partially successful. Objective: As the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic urticaria has not been studied in Iran, we decided to do this study. Patients & Methods: In a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial, 40 patients with chronic urticaria referred to skin clinics of Isfahan University in 1378 were studied, The patients had idiopathic urticaria, resistant to conventional treatment, and had not received any medication in the last month. We randomly divided them in two equal groups. One group was treated with acupuncture and the other with placebo for 3 weeks. Data entry and analysis was performed by Systat and T- test was used for data analysis. Results: The mean numbers of the episodes of urticaria in 3 weeks were 4.81 times in the control group and 3.62 times in the acupuncture group (P/value = 0.01). The mean duration of urticarial episodes in the third week was 5.08 hours in the control group and in received acupuncture group was 2.37 hours in the acupuncture group (P value=0.03). Conclusion: Acupuncture induced remission of chronic urticaria in the majority of the patients. Its efficacy was greatest in the third week of treatment.      

Auriculotherapy (also auricular therapy, ear acupuncture, and auriculoacupuncture) is a health care procedure based on the idea that auricle is a microsystem reflecting the entire body. In this microsystem, a point is considered for each part of the body in the auricle. By manipulating any specific point in the auricle, the corresponding part of the body is stimulated. The physical, mental, or emotional health of individuals is affected by exclusive stimulation of the given points. This therapeutic approach can contribute to the treatment of various diseases. The Holy Quran is a comprehensive source of various sciences, where a great deal of knowledge can be obtained by contemplating its holy verses. The authors of this study put forward the view that this therapeutic approach is initially introduced in chapter 18 of the Holy Quran (verses 10-11 and 18), called “ al-Kahf” or “ The Cave” . In these verses, it read; “ when the youths sought refuge in the cave, they said: 'Lord give us from your mercy and furnish us with rectitude in our affair” (10) “ for many years we sealed up their hearing in the cave” (11) and “ You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping” (18). The phrase “ sealed up their hearing” has been translated “ we stamped their ears and they became anesthetized” . Accordingly, the authors of this study believe that the phrase “ sealed up their hearing" in the second verse denotes what is now considered as the basis of the auricular therapy. Also, auriculotherapy can be regarded as one of the interpretations of these verses.