[Clinical observation on mild-warm moxibustion for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy].
OBJECTIVE
To observe clinical therapeutic effect of mild-warm moxibustion on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and to probe the mechanism.


METHODS
Sixty cases of DPN were randomly divided into a mild-warm moxibustion group, an acupuncture group and a medication group, 20 cases in each group. In the mild-warm moxibustion group and the acupuncture group, the same points, Shenshu (BL 23), Pishu (BL 20), Zusanli (ST 36), Yongquan (KI 1), etc. were selected; and the medication group were treated with Mecobalamin tablets. Their therapeutic effects and changes of fasting blood-glucose (FBG), glycosylated hematoglobin (GHB), hemorheological indexes, plasma endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) before and after treatment were investigated.


RESULTS
The total effective rate was 90.0%, FBG, GHB, hemorheological indexes, plasma ET, NO and MDA significantly improved in the mild-warm moxibustion group (P < 0.01), with no significant difference as compared with those in the acupuncture group (P > 0.05), but with a significant difference as compared with the medication group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Mild-warm moxibustion has definite therapeutic effect on diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which is better than that of Mecobalamin.
Zhao
Jian-ling
JL
Acupuncture Department, Suzhou Hospital of TCM, Jiangsu 215000, China. s65xm@yahoo.com.cn
Li
Zhong-ren
ZR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion / Q000379:methods*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
D019332:Endothelin-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde