Concerning the Combination of Acupuncture and Physical Therapy / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Purpose:<br>We believe there are very few therapists who in seeking therapeutic results use simply acupuncture or moxibustion. Most supplement therapy with physical therapy or some other form of therapy. We examined to see whether or not differences in results when acupuncture was used alone or accompanied by physical therapy were discernible.<br>Methods of Observation:<br>From among the charts of patients who visited our clinic during the year 1980 we selected periarthritis of the shoulder, lumbago and motor disturbance of the knee patients, divided them into 2 groups-acupuncture and moxibustion only group, and supplementary treatment (physical therapy techniques including infrared rays, UHF and low frequency therapy) and compared results. The evaluation was based on answers to questionairres circulated 2-3 months after the end of treatment or answers received during telephone interviews.<br>Results:<br>The rate of effectivity of therapeutic results was about the same however the number of treatment periods required was fewer in the supplementary treatment group.<br>Discussion of Results:<br>By supplementing acupuncture-moxibustion therapy with physical therapy techniques the range of diseases to which therapy is applicable is greatly, moreover it became empirically clear from this study that it is possible to quicken results.