ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the distribution of diseases in inpatients from the department of acupuncture and moxibustion and to provide the references for the scientific research direction of acupuncture and moxibustion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By use of information management system of the medical records, the first page of the medical record of 6435 cases from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2010 was extracted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>It shows a clear upward trend in the department of acupuncture and moxibustion in 8 years. The vast majority are elderly patients in 6435 cases, involving in 309 kinds of diseases, the major cases focus on the diseases of motor system and cerebrovascular system. The top 10 ranking of diseases and the rates are lumbar spondylosis (17.73%), cerebral infarction (13.77%), cervical spondylosis (13.66%), sequelae of cerebral infarction (7.47%), lumbar disc herniaion (4. 41%), osteoarthropathia (3.40%), cerebral hemorrhage (2.91%), herpes zoster (2.33%), postherpetic neuralgia (2.33%), sequelae of cerebral hemorrhage (2.32%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The people's acceptance of acupuncture and moxibustion is increasing and the sufferers treated by acupuncture and moxibustion are mostly elderly patients. The research on the motor system diseases and cerebrovascular diseases should be strengthened.</p>