Effects of Electroacupuncture to Relieve Itching Degree in Patients With Chronic Atopic Eczema

Overview

Eczema is a common allergic skin disease, accounting for about 15 to 30% of dermatological outpatients. Pruritus as one of the most painful symptoms is often underestimated in terms of the problems that it can cause, which creates the vicious loop of itching, scratching, and lichenification. Therefore, further research into practical and safe treatments that eliminate itchy symptoms and enhance skin protection is the key to overcoming chronic atopic eczema. Acupuncture has been utilized clinically in China for thousands of years due to its benefits of being practical, affordable, and simple to execute. With modern science and technology advancements, electroacupuncture (AE) has become widely used in China's public hospitals to treat chronic atopic eczema. This trial aims to objectively evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the electroacupuncture antipruritic technique in chronic atopic eczema pruritus and to obtain its high-level clinical evidence for the popularization and application of electroacupuncture clinical treatment of chronic atopic eczema.

As a common allergic skin disease, the incidence of eczema is increasing year by year, accounting for about 15 \~ 30% of the dermatological outpatients. Pruritus is one of the most painful symptoms of eczema. Patients often form a vicious circle of "pruritus -- scratching -- mossy transformation" because they can't stand it. Research on safe and effective anti-pruritus program has become the key to treatment. Inheriting the experience of Xia's surgery in Shanghai, the team proposed the core pathogenesis of "blood heat and dampness heat", formulated the treatment principle of "cooling blood dehumidification", selected acupoints Quchi (LI4), Hegu (LI11), Xuehai (SP10) and Sanyi jiao (SP6), and used the original acupuncture anti-pruritus technique (modified by acupuncture anesthesia technique) to treat chronic eczema with clinical advantages. Small sample Pilot study showed that acupuncture antipruritic technique significantly reduced the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of patients with chronic eczema, which was significantly better than sham EA group and non-EA group. This project adopts the multicenter, randomized, including false contrast design, objective, normative evaluation of acupuncture for chronic eczema itching itching and technology to improve situation, clinical efficacy and safety, obtain exact clinical evidence, further to form suitable for standardization, popularization and application in wide range of chronic eczema itching technology clinical acupuncture specification.