title: [Clinical observation on needle-sticking method for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of wind-cold-damp retention type].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe clinical therapeutic effect of needle-sticking method on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of wind-cold-damp retention type.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty cases of such disease were divided into 2 groups in order of visiting. The treatment group (n = 30) were treated with needle-sticking method, and the control group (n = 20) with routine filiform needle therapy for 2 therapeutic courses. Total cumulative scores, numbers of both the pressure-pain joint and the swollen-distention joint, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C reaction protein (CRP) before and after treatment were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the needle-sticking method and the filiform needle therapy had an apparent therapeutic effect on RA of wind-cold-damp retention type, and the therapeutic effect for the clinical indexes in the treatment group was better than the control group, with a very significant difference in improvement of RF, the number of pressure-pain joints and the total cumulative scores as the treatment group compared with the control group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Needle-sticking method has definite therapeutic effect on RA of wind-cold-damp retention type with obvious superiority.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture & moxibustion, China Academy of TCM, Beijing 100700, China. fion.he@sohu.com
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-zhe
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles