effect of acupuncture on heart rate variability and other non-invasive hemodynamic parameters in ...

155 Pages·2011·3.12 MB·English

by  Nuno Correia

EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON HEART RATE
VARIABILITY AND OTHER NON-INVASIVE
HEMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH
HEART FAILURE
 A CLINICAL RESEARCH PROTOCOL

Nuno Cândido Maia Correia

Dissertação de Mestrado em Medicina Tradicional Chinesa

2010

Nuno Cândido Maia Correia

EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND
OTHER NON-INVASIVE HEMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS IN HEART
FAILURE  A CLINICAL RESEARCH PROTOCOL

Dissertação de Candidatura ao grau de Mestre
em Medicina Tradicional Chinesa submetida ao
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel
Salazar da Universidade do Porto.

Orientador
– Prof. Doutor Henry Johannes Greten
Categoria – Professor Associado
Afiliação – Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas
Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto.

Co-orientador
– Prof. Doutor Paulo Bettencourt
Categoria – Professor Associado
Afiliação – Faculdade de Medicina da
Universidade do Porto.
I
II
DEDICATION

To my beautiful Wife Vânia for all her love and support.
To the miracle of my life, my Son Leonardo.

III
IV
Scientific Chinese medicine, since its inception approximately 2100 years ago,
is based upon the consistent application solely of inductive synthesis. (..) all its
statements refer to the direct perception of dynamic and present effects.
Prof. Manfred B. Porkert [1]

Acupunctural neuroreflexotherapy is useful and is clearly therapeutic, it works out of
necessity through the channels of positive biology, without the interference of energetic
conceptions that are foreign to experimental deductive thought.
Francisco Abad-Alegría and Carlos Pomarón [2]

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system of sensations and findings
designed to establish a functional vegetative state.
Prof. Henry Johannes Greten [3]

V
VI
ACNKOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my closest family for all their background support that has enabled
me to develop my own education.
To Maria das Dores Pombinho, a personal reference to me in life and Medicine, and
the “yin-yang” we have shared.
To my dear Professors Jorge Machado, Manuel Laranjeira, and Johannes Greten, for
their friendship, collegiality, and contagious braveness in the gracious quest of helping
patients.
To Professor Andrew Remmpis for his accurate guidance and scientific expertise.
To Professor Gerhard Litscher for sharing his experience and knowledge.
To Petra for her support in general management.
To my Biology teacher and dear friend Carlos Alberto, for his wisdom, excellence and
friendship.
To Professor Paulo Bettencourt for his open mind and scientific culture that enables an
internal medicine junior doctor to explore other “non-conventional” fields of health science
and knowledge, while training in this magnificent and holistic medical specialty.
To my research colleague and friend Eduardo Capitão, an outstanding Nurse
professional.
To some Humanity references whose historical legacy stands has an inspiration to me:
the unrepeatable Leonardo da Vinci; Siddharta Gautama; Abel Salazar, William Osler,
Mother Theresa of Calcutta; Albert Einstein; Nuno Grande, and Maria de Sousa.
To my few Friends for all their trust and tolerance.

Finally, to Medicine the mission I have struggled for as a way of helping my fellow
human beings and making some useful sense out of this ridiculous life-time.

VII
VIII