Observations on the Efficacy of Acupuncture plus Moxibustion on Du Meridian in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective To Investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus moxibustion on Du meridian in treating rheumatoid arthritis and its effect on cytokines.Methods Ninety patients were randomly allocated to Western drug,control and treatment groups,30 cases each.The Western drug group took leflunomide;the control group was treated with acupuncture;the treatment group received acupuncture plus box-moxibustion on Du meridian.The major and subsidiary symptoms and signs were scored using a symptom rating scale in the patients before treatment and at 60 days after.Laboratory indices(ESR,RF,CPR,IL-1? and TNF-?) were measured.Results The total efficacy rate was 78.6% in the Western drug group,96.5% in the treatment group and 82.1% in the control group.The therapeutic effect was better in the treatment group than in the control group(P0.05).The symptom score was lower after treatment than before in the treatment group.The difference was statistically significant(P0.05).After treatment,the major and subsidiary symptoms and signs score was obviously lower in the treatment group than in the control group and in the Western drug group.The difference was statistically significant in both(P0.05).ESR,RF,CPR,IL-1? and TNF-? were lower after treatment than before in all the three groups.All the differences were statistically significant(P0.05).the post-treatent differences were statistically significant as the treatment group was compared with the control group and the Western drug group(P0.05).Conclusions Acupuncture plus moxibustion on Du meridian has a definite clinical effect in treating rheumatoid arthritis.It is convenient and easy to perform.