title: Randomized controlled trial: moxibustion and acupuncture for the treatment of Crohn's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for the treatment of active Crohn's disease (CD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two patients were equally and randomly divided into the treatment group and received herb-partitioned moxibustion combined with acupuncture, and the control group received wheat bran-partitioned moxibustion combined with superficial acupuncture. The patients received three treatment sessions per week for 12 wk and were followed up for 24 wk. The main outcome was evaluated using the CD Activity Index (CDAI) score, and the secondary outcomes were evaluated using laboratory indicators such as hemoglobin (HGB), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, quality-of-life, endoscopic ratings, and intestinal histology scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CDAI scores of both the treatment and control groups were significantly reduced after treatment compared with those measured before treatment. However, the degree of improvement in the treatment group was significantly greater than that of the control group. The improvement in symptoms in patients of the treatment group was sustained at follow-up, whereas that of the control group was not. The overall efficacy of the treatment was significantly greater than that of the control. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in quality-of-life ratings after treatment, but the improvement was significantly greater in the treatment group than in the control group. In addition, the patients in the treatment group showed significantly increased HGB and significantly decreased CRP levels and histopathological scores at the end of treatment, whereas the control group did not exhibit significant changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moxibustion with acupuncture provided significant therapeutic benefits in patients with active CD beyond the placebo effect and is therefore an effective and safe treatment for active CD.
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Meng
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Lu-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Zi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Chun-Hui Bao, Ji-Meng Zhao, Hui-Rong Liu, Yuan Lu, Yi-Fang Zhu, Huan-Gan Wu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Huan-Gan
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002681:China; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D011788:Quality of Life; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Acupuncture; Crohn’s disease; Moxibustion; Randomized controlled trial; Traditional Chinese medicine