The role of four natures of medicine in acupoint sticking therapy / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of four natures of medicine on therapeutic effect of acupoint sticking therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-one cases of primary dysmenorrhea were randomly divided into a capsaicin group (n=20), a menthol group (n=20) and a control group (n=21). They were treated respectively with capsaicin and menthol, which are extracts of Lajiao (Fructus Capsici) and Bohe (Herba Menthae) with same pungent in flavor and different cold (cool) and heat in property, and application of Tongjing Jiu Tieji (plaster for dysmenorrhea) at Shenque (CV 8). Changes of clinical symptoms before and after treatment were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the cumulative scores of symptoms and the scores of pain decreased significantly in the 3 groups (P < 0.01), with no significant differences among the 3 groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In acupoint sticking therapy, the four natures of medicine have no obvious effect on the therapeutic effect, so the four natures of medicine should not used as main standard of medicine selection.</p>