ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the efficacies of different times and frequencies of acupoint application in preventing and treating child asthma of spleen-lung qi deficiency type. Method Sixty children with asthma of spleen-lung qi deficiency type were randomly allocated to dog days, dog days reinforcement, coldest days and coldest days reinforcement groups for treatment by acupoint application. The therapeutic effects were evaluated using the TCM symptom score as the observation indicator in the four groups after three months of treatment. Result The TCM symptom score decreased significantly in the four groups at the follow-up after three months of treatment (P<0.05). The main effect of treatment time was marked (F=17.04, P<0.05). The main effect of treatment frequency was marked (F=8.17, P<0.05). Conclusion Different times and frequencies of acupoint application both decrease the TCM symptom score in children with asthma. The therapeutic effect is better in dog days than in three nine-day period after the winter solstice. An increase in treatment frequency influences the therapeutic effect obviously. The therapeutic effect is best in the dog days reinforcement group.