To observe the clinical effect of moxibustion of different acupoints undergoing heat-sensitive state and resting state in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients.
A total of 60 cases of KOA patients were enrolled in the present trial. They were divided into heat-sensitive moxibustion (heat-sensitive) group and non-sensitive moxibustion group (resting group). Moxibustion was applied to Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Waixiyan (i.e. Dubi, ST 35) and Heding (EX-LE 2) for about 45 min, once daily for 20 days. The heat-sensitive state was evaluated according to the patient's feeling. After moxibustion stimulation at the acupoint area, if the patient feels the heat penetrating from the skin surface to the deep tissue, or/and extending peripherally around the moxibustion site, or/and transmitting toward a certain direction, it is considered to be heat sensitization state. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by using visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain severity changes and by Guiding Principles for Clinical Trials of New Drugs of Chinese Materia Medica for evaluating functional activity of the knee-joint.
After 20 sessions of treatment and after a half year's follow-up, the total integrated scores of VAS in the heat-sensitive group were all lower than those of the resting group (P < 0.01). Following 20 sessions of treatment, of the two 30 KOA patients in the heat-sensitive group and resting group, 14 (46.67% )and 5 (16.67%) experienced a marked improvement, 10 (33.33%) and 9 (30.00%) were effective, 6 (20.00%) and 16 (53.33%) were invalid, with the effective rates being 80.00% and 46.67 , respectively. Half-year's follow-up showed that the effective rates of the heat-sensitive group and resting group were 79.17% (19/24) and 42.86% (6/14), respectively, suggesting a better therapeutic effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion.
The clinicaln effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion is significantly superior to that of non-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of KOA patients, being worthy of clinical application.