[The role of four natures of medicine in acupoint sticking therapy].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of four natures of medicine on therapeutic effect of acupoint sticking therapy.


METHODS
Sixty-one cases of primary dysmenorrhea were randomly divided into a capsaicin group (n=20), a menthol group (n=20) and a control group (n=21). They were treated respectively with capsaicin and menthol, which are extracts of Lajiao (Fructus Capsici) and Bohe (Herba Menthae) with same pungent in flavor and different cold (cool) and heat in property, and application of Tongjing Jiu Tieji (plaster for dysmenorrhea) at Shenque (CV 8). Changes of clinical symptoms before and after treatment were observed.


RESULTS
After treatment, the cumulative scores of symptoms and the scores of pain decreased significantly in the 3 groups (P < 0.01), with no significant differences among the 3 groups (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In acupoint sticking therapy, the four natures of medicine have no obvious effect on the therapeutic effect, so the four natures of medicine should not used as main standard of medicine selection.
The people's Hospital of Fujian, Fuzhou 350004, China;
Jie
J
Zhang
Qiang
Q
Wu
Dong
D
Lin
Chuan-jiang
CJ
Chen
Dong-e
DE
Huang
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000628:therapy; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans