A Trial of Moxibustion with Warming Acupuncture Based on Evidence of Oriental Medicine in a Palliative Care Unit / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

[Introduction] We consider that the missions of acupuncture medicine are 1) cooperation with other departments, 2) treatments of subclinical diseases, and 3) palliative care, and we have been actively persuing all of the above. We conducted an acupuncture trial in the Palliative Care Unit (PCU) in Kawasaki General Care Center.<BR>[Subjects] We studied 74 cancer patients who were hospitalized in PCU between June 1999 and March 2001. There were 36 male patients and 38 female patients, and their average age was 63.9 ± 11.8 years old.<BR>[Methods] We treated the patients using appliance moxibustion with warming acupuncture (CS-2000). Nurses in charge treated the patients according to an association of points chosen with differentiation of syndromes.<BR>[Results] Of 74 cases, 51.4% received effective palliation. Among 58 cases who complained of pains, 55.2% received effective palliation. Treatments were most effective for patients who complained of “dull persistent pain”, “severe dull pain”, “heavy throbbing pain”, “bulging pain” and “penetrating pain” in order of effectiveness.<BR>[Discussion] Appliance Moxibustion with warming acupuncture is expected to relieve 1) pain not controllable with painkiller, 2) cancer pain (pain originating from cancer) or pain from combatting the disease, and 3) pain unrelated to cancer. Such pain is considered to be dull pain (indescribable pain).<BR>This is not based on data, but we were also able to play the following roles. One is spiritual care resulting from sharing common time and space with patients, and the other is providing nurses and doctors with meaningful information obtained from close communication with patients. (This is a part in teamwork medicine.) <BR>[Conclusion] By participating in palliative care, we found out that we were able to contribute to caring to remove physical pain (and other symptoms) which is part of holistic pain. Especially, we found out that our care is meaningfully effective in removing pain.