The clinical effects of acupuncture treatment on intermittent claudication in a diabetic hemodialysis patient

We report the clinical effects of acupuncture treatment on intermittent claudication in a diabetic hemodialysis patient. A 59-year-old man had experienced intermittent claudication since 1998. The patient started maintenance dialysis for diabetic neuropathy in 2000, but he did not receive treatment for claudication. Based on the medical history, findings on physical examination, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), claudication was suspected to be due to arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). Acupuncture treatment was performed on acupoints located on the low back and leg, once a week, for twenty sessions. To examine the effects of this treatment, MOS Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36v2TM), plethysmography of both halluxes, and walking distance were adopted as outcome measures. Scores increased for five of the eight SF-36 criteria. In particular, Mental Health (MH) score increased from 54.5 to 65.1, and Role-Physical (RP) score increased from 27.0 to 34.0. Height of the pulse waves in plethysmography increased following acupuncture treatment, and walking distance increased from 168m to 378m. These findings suggest that acupuncture treatment might be effective for intermittent claudication in diabetic dialysis patients.