[Clinical study on long-term treatment of ankylosing spondylitis with integrated Traditional Chinese and Western medicine].
OBJECTIVE
To seek for the new method of integrated traditional Chinese and western medical treatment (TCM-WM) for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) to control the disease development, shorten the therapeutic course and reduce disability rate.


METHODS
Patients of AS enrolled in this study were 106 patients in group A, who were persistently treated with TCM-WM for over 10 months, 48 patients in group B treated with western medicine and 34 in group C treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. They were followed-up for 2 years.


RESULTS
(1) Short-term effect: the markedly effective rate in the three groups was 73.58%, 47.92% and 5.88% respectively, and the total effective rate was 96.23%, 87.50% and 41.18% respectively. The comparisons of group A to group B and C showed significant difference, the effect in group A was superior to that in group B and group C (chi 2 = 10.58, P < 0.01 and chi 2 = 67.76, P < 0.01 respectively). (2) Results of 2-year follow-up: the recurrence rate in group A was 18.37% (9/49), it was insignificantly different from that in group B (7/23 = 30.43%, chi 2 = 1.32, P > 0.05), but significantly different from that in group C (8/12 = 66.67%, chi 2 = 11.19, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term TCM-WM therapy, which concentrated on the advantages of traditional Chinese and western medicine, was a practical method in treating AS with reliable effect, few side-reaction, therefore, is worth spreading.
Cao
T M
TM
208th Hospital of PLA, Changchun 130062.
Han
H N
HN
Duan
Y C
YC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal