SU JOK ACUPUNCTURE AND CORRECTION OF IMPAIRED HOMEOSTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH LUNG TUBERCULOSIS

A.K.Abramovskaya, S.E.Ioffe, V.N.Mikheev, T.S.Shashkova, N.S.Shpakovskaya (Minsk)

The article discusses the impact of Su Jok acupuncture on the dynamics of the content of thyroid hormones, cortisol, cellular immunity indices in the blood of 25 patients with lung tuberculosis. The possibility of applying Su Jok acupuncture in the whole complex of specific treatment of patients with lung tuberculosis is demonstrated.

In the past years in the republic of Belarus the growth of tuberculosis cases has been observed, the structure of clinical forms in newly diagnosed patients changes: percentage of destructive, multiple and complicated forms of lung tuberculosis is growning. Nowadays the clinical course of tuberculosis is characterised by lower effectiveness of traditional specific therapies, more frequent exacerbations and recurrence of disease. During chemotherapy about every third patient develops side effects related to medication. In early periods of treatment the micobacterial population becomes drug-resistant. For several years, we have made complex clinical and laboratory research to find out that in newly diagnosed patients with lung tuberculosis deep and stable impairments of homeostasis are observed, in particular, those concerning the functions of the thyroid and adrenal glands, pancreas, pituitary gland, of antioxidation defence, cellular and humoral immunity, local defence of the lungs.

During the basic course of treatment with antituberculous drugs these impairments are not removed which makes cure unstable or null. In 1992 in the republic the recurrence of tuberculosis in cured patients was 3.6 times as much as in 1986. So, in order to enhance effectiveness of etiotropic therapy, to justify optimum combinations of antituberculous preparations, ways of their administration, it is important to more widely use various pathogenetic methods that stimulate the resolution processes restoring the impaired homeostasis of the patients. Methods of pathogenetic treatment of tuberculosis are miltiform, and the phthisiological clinic makes wide use of hygiene and dietary regime, immunocorrectors, hormone and tuberculinotherapy, exercise, physical therapy (ultrasound, electrophoresis, inducto-, magneto- and laser-therapy), etc. However, even combined with etiotropic means they cannot always ensure restoration of the functional imbalance of various organs and systems and cure some categories of patients.

The psychoemotional strain and sharp decrease of adaptative-compensatory reactions of the body tell on the effectiveness of the basic course of treatment and progress of tuberculosis, especially in patients who had been exposed to the Chernobyl radiation catastrophy. These states yield poorly to pharmacotherapeutic correction. In the whole complex of etiotropic treatment of tuberculous patients it is expedient to use methods that do not decrease the effectiveness of a specific treatment but return the cortex-subcortex relationships to normal. Acupuncture is one of such techniques.

The purpose of the present research work was to study a possibility of correcting the impaired hormonal homeostasis, immune response of the body in victims of tuberculosis by the method of Su Jok acupuncture. This method was used 2 to 3 months from the beginning of complex treatment of patients with lung tuberculosis who demonstrated marked and stable changes of immunographic indices and the level of thyroid hormones (T3, TG) and cortisol. Twenty five patients with newly diagnosed destructive lung tuberculosis (infiltrative and disseminated forms), aged from 25 to 50, predominantly male, were examined. Research findings in the basic group (10 persons) receiving Su Jok acupuncture, were compared with the control group (15 persons) where treatment included only traditional methods. Clinical forms of lung tuberculosis and impaired homeostasis in both groups were identical.

During administration of Su Jok acupuncture (two weeks) antitubercolous preparations were cancelled while the patients in the control group continued the traditional therapy. Before and after Su Jok acupuncture the immune response indices were studied, thyroid and adrenal hormones content in the blood and X-ray changes of the specific process in the lungs were studied. Before treatment, all patients underwent Su Jok acupuncture diagnostics. The correspondence points for affected organs and systems were found on the hands and feet, the energy constitution and energy structure were determined for each affected organ, emotional and mental status defined. The treatment included needling into the points corresponding to the lungs, thyroid, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and other organs according to the complaints and diagnosed disorders. When determining the energy constitution 4 patients were referred to yin-heat constitution, 2 to yin-humidity and 2 to yang-coldness, 1 to yang-heat and 1 to yin-dryness, which necessitated an individual approach to treating each patient. During 14 days correction of the general energy constitution was performed for all patients. Every day they received chronopuncture: correction of a patient's state considering the year, month, day and hour of birth. Simultaneously, allopathic (biologically active) points were acted upon on the meridians of the stomach, spleen, spinal cord and anteromedian channel, the energy points were "opened" on the basic meridians. In parallel, the channels responsible for the hormonal and immune status were acted on, and also the emotional and mental spheres were influenced, since in many patients the emotions of sadness, anxiety and fear were predominant.

Within two to three days after the treatment began, the patients' moods grew better, there appeared a belief in recovery, desire to continue Su Jok acupuncture treatment. This was a good foundation for further correction of the basic process in the lungs, impairments of the hormone and immune systems. Within a short period (2-3 days) such clinical symptoms disappeared as headache, vasomotor rhinitis, lumbalgia, gastralgia, head noises, constipation, pain related to chronic adnexitis, lacrimation. All patients reported a better appetite, normalisation of sleep.

The hemographic indices before and after the treatment remained within norm. The T4 and T3 content in blood increased reliably up to norm, TG and cortisol increased twofold as compared with the initial level. In the control group the level of these hormones did not change during the same period, and the average group index of the T3 content remained low (Table 1).

Table 1. Dynamics of hormone level in blood of patients with lung tuberculosis before and after Su Jok acupuncture within complex therapy

The cellular immunity indices after the course of Su Jok acupuncture in the basic group normalised due to reliable growth of T-general, T-active and T-theophylline-resistant lymphocytes and sharp decrease of T-theophylline-sensitive lymphocytes, in the control group only a tedency to increase T-general lymphocytes was observed. During the treatment period the immunoglobulin content in the blood did not change in both groups (Table 2). Stable normalisation of the thyroid hormone level persisted after the course ended in 80.0% cases in the basic group vs. 13.3% in the control group. In 8 of 10 patients, X-ray findings after treatment revealed the further positive dynamics in the lungs, namely the resolution of perifocal infiltration and specific foci. In two patients the stable process was observed in the form of small tuberculomas. The effectiveness of the in-patient stage of treatment in both groups was assessed by occurrence of closed decomposition cavities, which in the basic group was 100%, and in the control group 78.7%.

Table 2. Dynamics of immune response indices in patients with lung tuberculosis before and after Su Jok acupuncture within complex therapy

Therefore, application of Su Jok acupuncture in the complex therapy of patients with lung tuberculosis accompanied by prolonged decrease of the functions of the thyroid, adrenal glands and secondary insufficiency of cellular immunity has a normalising effect on the indices of impaired homeostasis of the body and enhances the effectiveness of specific chemotherapy.

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