[Professor CHEN Ri-xin's academic idea of "pain in joint and disorder in tendon region of meridian" and its clinical application for knee arthralgia].

Professor CHEN Ri-xin's academic idea of "pain in joint and disorder in tendon region of meridian" was explored in this paper. According to the particular characteristics of the occurrence and development of the disease, knee arthralgia is divided into 4 stages, named tendon spasm, tendon blockage, tendon contraction and tendon atrophy. It is proposed that "tendon disorder results in bone disorder", implying the relationship between the disorders of tendon and bone. It is pointed that yang qi insufficiency occurs throughout knee arthralgia. "The tendon disorder should be treated at the first-line procedure for the bone disorder, and the tendon softening benefits the recovery of knee joints". The treatment principle includes "removing obstruction from meridian, eliminating pathogen, warming up yang and softening tendon". In clinical application, the heat-sensitive moxibustion is predominated. The various regimens are developed align with the pathogenesis characteristics of the disease at different stages.

[Discussion on the enlightenment of heat-sensitive moxibustion technology to acupuncture clinic: dynamically grasping the state of acupoints, on-demand treatment are the key to achieving clinical efficacy].

The enlightenment of heat-sensitive moxibustion technology on acupuncture clinical practice was discussed from the perspective of heat-sensitive moxibustion technology on the requirements of moxibustion acupuncture points, exploration and stimulation, and strict matching of acupoint sensitization types.The heat-sensitive moxibustion technology pays attention to the selection of acupoint status, and accurately locates the heat-sensitive acupoints by moxibustion. According to the needs of the body, the heat-sensitive acupoints are stimulated by heat, so the curative effect is remarkable. From the above discussion, it is known that the dynamic grasp of the state of the acupoints and the treatment according to the objectiveneeds of the body are the key to achieving clinical efficacy.

[Different Warm Sensations May Induce Different Therapeutic Effects in Primary Dysmenorrhea Patients Undergoing Moxibustion Treatment Based on Propensity Score: A Prospective Cohort Study].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness difference between the "heat-sensitive" sensation and conventional warm sensation of moxibustion stimulation of Guanyuan (GV 4) in primary dysmenorrhea (PD) patients. METHODS: Cohort study design was used in the present study. A total of 189 PD patients were divided into heat-sensitive group (n = 148) and conventional warm sensation group (n = 41) according to the patients' subjective feeling to moxibustion stimulation and the sequence of treatment. The Propensity Score Match (PSM)function of SPSS 19.0 software was used to match the patients of the two groups for balancing their baseline data (age, duration of illness, McGill and CMSS scores). Thus, 35 cases in each group were subjected into the analysis at last. Heat-sensitive moxibustion was applied to Guanyuan (GV 4) for 40 min beginning 5 days before dysmenorrheal attack, once daily for (7 ± 2) days in one menstrual cycle, and for 3 menstrual cycles for heat-sensitive group, wheras routine moxibustion for conventional warm sensation group. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) composed of pain rating index (PRI), visual analogue scale (VAS) and present pain intensity (PPI) and COX Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS) containing 18 items (0 - 4 grades/item) were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of moxibustion treatment. Follow-up visit was conducted 3 months after the treatment. RESULTS: Compared to pre-treatment, MPQ and CMSS scores were significantly decreased in both groups after the treatment (P<0.01), and the effects of heat-sensitive group were significantly superior to those of conventional warm sensation group in lowering MPQ and CMSS scores (P<0.01). Follow-up survey showed that both MPQ and CMSS scores were still considerably lower in the heat-sensitive group than in the conventional warm sensation group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The heat-sensitive moxibustion is superior to conventional warm moxibustion in improving symptoms in primary dysmenorrhea patients.

Designing and implementing multicenter clinical randomized controlled trials on moxibustion with large samples.

Implementing clinical trials with large multicenter samples is an important way to scientifically evaluate and demonstrate the curative effect of moxibustion. At present, clinical trials on moxibustion with large multicenter samples are prospering in China. It is necessary for research units to have good research professionals and technical platforms as well as a highly standardized and scientifically feasible methodology of research. Taking tasks in the ongoing national 973 project and in the sci-tech support program of the "11th 5-year plan", for example, this research captures the characteristics of moxibustion, carries out deep analysis and introduces specific methods and the important significance of clinical research tasks on moxibustion in designing multicenter plans, implementing experiments, supervising quality and strengthening compliance.

[Paying attention to the heat thermal sensitivity of moxibustion is the key for raising the curative effect].

When moxibustion is applied to a certain acupoint in the patient, a regional heat sensitive reaction may be found. In the present paper, the authors expound its conception and appearing regularities, its relationship with the "arrival of qi" of Chinese medicine, and its clinical application in guiding acupoint selection and heat-stimulation quantity. Heat sensitive reaction during moxibustion ("heat sensitive moxibustion") is frequently seen in people undergoing pathological conditions and correlates highly with the diseases. It characterizes in dynamic changes in the location along with the state of the disorders and in being not always to coincide with the standard meridian acupoint location. The heat sensitive phenomenon of moxibustion is one of the manifestations in the activated functional activities of meridian of Chinese medicine just like the arrival of the qi caused by acupuncture stimulation. It is also a sign of activation of the human endogenous functional regulative system. Therefore, thinking highly of the heat sensitive reaction of moxibustion is the key point for raising the curative effect in clinical practice.

[Clinical application of the theory of Qijie (pathways of qi) in thermal moxibustion].

The original meaning of Qijie (pathways of qi) is discussed in the present paper by reviewing related literatures. Confirmed by thermal sensitive moxibustion in clinic, Qijie is revealed to be one of the running laws of meridian qi and the sagittal pathways of the major passages for qi circulation. It is taken as the essential content of the direct pathway for negotiating the superficial part of the body and the intra-organism tissues as well as zang-fu organs. It is supplemented that the theory of Qijie is the theoretical foundation of the local use of acupoints, which fulfilled the basic theory of acupuncture-moxibustion. Thus, an effective approach is created for treatment of intraorganism diseases in clinic.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB 39) combined with Chinese herbs pyrogenic dressing therapy for treatment of calcaneus spur].

OBJECTIVE: To compare therapeutic effects of acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB 39) combined with Chinese herbs pyrogenic dressing therapy and common acupuncture on calcaneus spur. METHODS: A single-blind, randomized and controlled trial was adopted. Sixty-six cases were randomly divided into an observation group (n=34) and a common acupuncture group (n=32). The observation group was treated with acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB 39) combined with Chinese herbs pyrogenic dressing therapy and the common acupuncture group with common acupuncture, Yanglingquan (GB 34), Kunlun (BL 60) etc. selected. The markedly effective rate and the changes of heel pain scores, heel swelling scores, heel burning sensation scores, and walking function scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: The markedly effective rate of 64.7% (22/34) in the observation group was higher than 37.5% (12/32) in the common acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, all the scores in the two groups were significantly improved as compared with before treatment (all P<0.05), and the observation group was better than the common acupuncture group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB 39) combined with Chinese herbs pyrogenic dressing therapy on calcaneus spur is superior to that of common acupuncture.

[Electroacupuncture for treatment of simple obesity complicated with fatty liver].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on simple obesity complicated with fatty liver. METHODS: Thirty cases of such disease were treated with EA at Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Qimen (LR 14), Daimai (GB 26), Yanglingquan (GB 34), etc.. After treatment of 3 months, the therapeutic effect and changes of B-ultrasonography of liver, body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), fat degree, visceral fatty (VFT) content in the cross region, subcutaneous fat (FAT), waist/hip ratio (WHR) were investigated. RESULTS: After treatment, the total effective rate for slimming was 80.0% and the total effective rate for fatty liver was 80.0%, and body weight, BMI, fat degree, VFA, FAT and WHR significantly decreased (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture has good slimming action and it is one of effective methods for fatty liver.