[Warming-needle moxibustion with different lengths of moxa stick for asthenospermia with kidney deficiency and liver depression: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of warming-needle moxibustion with different lengths of moxa stick for asthenospermia with kidney deficiency and liver depression. METHODS: A total of 240 patients with asthenospermia of kidney deficiency and liver depression were randomly divided into a 4-cm group (moxibustion with 4-cm moxa stick, 60 cases, 3 cases dropped off), a 3-cm group (moxibustion with 3-cm moxa stick, 60 cases, 4 cases dropped off), a 2-cm group (moxibustion with 2-cm moxa stick, 60 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and an acupuncture group (60 cases, 3 cases dropped off). All patients were treated with warming-needle moxibustion with different lengths of moxa stick or conventicnal acupuncture at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), Guilai (ST 29), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Guanyuanshu (BL 26), etc., once a day, five times a week; 4-week treatment was taken as one course, a total of two courses of treatment were given. The semen routine indexes, seminal plasma biochemical indexes, sex hormone levels and TCM syndrome score were compared before and after treatment among the 4 groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the sperm density, sperm viability, ratio of grade A sperm, ratio of grade A and B sperm, seminal plasma fructose and neutral α-glucosidase were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the sperm deformity rates were lower than those before treatment in the 4-cm group and the 3-cm group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The ratio of grade A sperm, ratio of grade A and B sperm, seminal plasma fructose and neutral α-glucosidase in the 4-cm group were higher than the other three groups (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the sperm deformity rate was lower than the other three groups (P<0.05). After treatment, except for dizziness and tinnitus score, each-domain score and total scores of TCM syndrome scale in the 4-cm group and the 3-cm group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). The each-domain score of depression, weak waist and knees, low sexual function and total score in the 4-cm group were lower than those in the other three groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total effective rate was 87.7% (50/57) in the 4-cm group, which was higher than 78.6% (44/56) in the 3-cm group, 77.6% (45/58) in the 2-cm group and 70.2% (40/57) in the acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The warming-needle moxibustion with 4-cm moxa stick could effectively improve quality and motility of sperm and clinical symptoms in patients with asthenospermia of kidney deficiency and liver depression, which is superior to moxibustion with 3-cm, 2-cm moxa sticks and conventional acupuncture.