Therapeutic effect of herb-separated moxibustion at Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points on diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency

Main idea: Herb-separated moxibustion at Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points remarkably relieves gastrointestinal symptoms and improves the quality of life in patients of diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency, and its clinical therapeutic effect is superior to oral administration of either pinaverium bromide tablets or tongxieyaofang.

Abstract

The objective of the study was to observe the clinical therapeutic effect of herb-separated moxibustion at Jinsuo (GV 8)- eight-diagram points on diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency as compared to oral administration of pinaverium bromide tablets and Chinese herbal decoction, tongxieyaofang.

A total of 126 patients with IBS-D of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency were randomized into a herb-separated moxibustion group, a western medication group, and a Chinese herbal medication group, 42 cases in each one. In the moxibustion group, the herb-separated moxibustion was applied to Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points. The herbs in tongxieyaofang (fried rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae, fried radix paeoniae alba, pericarpium citri reticulatae, and radix saposhnikoviae) were ground into a herbal paste and the paste was put on Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points.

After treatment, the symptoms were all significantly reduced in each group. Each of the scores in the moxibustion group was lower than the western medication group and the Chinese herbal medication group respectively (P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of each of eight subscale structures of the IBS-QOL scale, named dysphoria, interference with activity, body image, health worry, food avoidance, social reaction, sexual intercourse, and relationship, were all increased significantly in each group (P<0.05). The scores of each of eight subscale structures in the moxibustion group were higher than in the western medication group and in the Chinese herbal medication group respectively (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 92.9% (39/42) in the moxibustion group, higher than 71.4% (30/42) in the western medication group and 73.8% (31/42) in the Chinese herbal medication group respectively (P<0.05).

Source CNKI