title: [Moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupoints for treatment of myofascial pain syndrome: a multi-central randomized controlled trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupoints on myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-centre, single blind, randomized controlled trial method was adopted. One hundred and seven cases were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 57), and a control group (n = 50). The observation group were treated by moxibustion on the heat-sensitive acupoints and the control group by acupuncture, cupping and TDP. The therapeutic effects were assessed according to changes of the score of the short-form of McGill pain questionnaire composing of pain rating index (PRI), visual analogue scale (VAS) and present pain intensity (PPI) before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cured rate of 86.0% in the observation group was better than 24.0% in the control group. After treatment, the score of PRI, VAS, PPI indexes significantly improved in the observation group (P < 0.001), and were significantly better than those in the control group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moxibustion on the heat-sensitive acupoints has a high therapeutic effect on MPS.
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Hospital of Jiang-xi College of TCM, Nanchang 330006, China. chenrixin123@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Ri-Xin
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming-Fei
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Wei-Li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shi-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D009209:Myofascial Pain Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement