title: Traditional thermal therapy with indirect moxibustion decreases renal arterial resistive index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the immediate effects of indirect moxibustion, a traditional local thermal therapy, on renal hemodynamics by using Doppler ultrasonography (US).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study of postintervention changes in several variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven healthy persons (7 men and 4 women; mean age±standard deviation, 32.6±5.7 years) were enrolled.
  
  
  METHODS
  Indirect moxibustion was applied for 4 minutes to bilateral lower back acupuncture points (BL23). Each participant received 3 successive treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main outcome measurement was resistive index (RI) in the renal segmental arteries. Blood flow variables, including RI, were measured for 6 renal segmental arteries by Doppler US at rest (baseline), immediately after completion of moxibustion (post 1), and 10 minutes later (post 2). Participants were monitored for adverse events during the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean RI was 0.578±0.037 at baseline, 0.546±0.027 at post 1, and 0.547±0.032 at post 2. RI decreased significantly between post 1 and baseline (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.053 to -0.011; p=0.003) and between post 2 and baseline (95% CI, -0.052 to -0.009; p=0.005). No adverse events, such as burns, were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study of the short-term effects of indirect moxibustion on renal hemodynamics in healthy persons showed that renal vascular resistance was reduced after the therapy.
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology and Respirology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine , Gifu, Japan .
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Matsumoto-Miyazaki
authors: Nagisa
authors: N
authors: Miyazaki
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Ushikoshi
authors: Takahide
authors: T
authors: Nawa
authors: Gakuro
authors: G
authors: Yoshida
authors: Ichijiro
authors: I
authors: Murata
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Ogura
authors: Shinya
authors: S
authors: Minatoguchi
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D007564:Japan; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009071:Moxibustion; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance