Randomized Controlled Study on Acupuncture plus Acupoint Application for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus acupoint application in treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D).Method Sixty patients were randomized into two groups, 30 cases in each group. The acupuncture group was intervened by acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6), Zhongwan (CV12), and Zusanli (ST36), etc, plus application withBai Jie Zi(Semen Brassicae) powder at Qihai (CV6), Guanyuan (CV4), and Tianshu (ST25), etc; the medication group was prescribed with oral administration of Trimebutine maleate capsules (0.2 g each dose, 3 times a day). Four-week treatment was taken as a course. The symptoms score and quality of life (QOL) scale were evaluated prior to and after the treatment.Result The clinical symptoms were significantly improved in the acupuncture group, and the total effective rate was89.3%, significantly higher than 63.0% in the medication group (P<0.05). After 4-week treatment, the clinical symptoms scores of the two groups were analyzed by rank-sum test (Z=-19.627,P=0.000<0.05), revealing a significant difference between the two groups and indicating that the improvements of clinical symptoms in the acupuncture group were more significant than those in the medication group. After 4-week treatment, the general QOL scores of the two groups were examined by rank-sum test (Z=-10.039, P=0.000<0.05), revealing a significant difference between the two groups and indicating that the improvement of QOL in the acupuncture group was superior to that in the medication group.Conclusion Acupuncture plus acupoint application can obviously mitigateabdominal pain and discomfort.