Commonality and pattern analysis of acupoint selection in moxibustion treatment of asthma

Abstract

Objective: To analyze and summarize the commonalities and patterns in acupoint selection for moxibustion treatment of asthma. Methods: Data retrieval was conducted using ‘moxibustion’ and ‘asthma’ as the keywords through China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang) and Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP). Excel 2010 was used to establish the major acupoint database for moxibustion prescriptions in treatment of asthma; data mining methods including association patterns and clustering were adopted to analyze the characteristics and patterns in acupoint selection for moxibustion treatment of asthma. Results: A total of 161 moxibustion prescriptions were recruited. The most commonly used acupoint was Feishu (BL 13), the most commonly used meridian was the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang, and the most commonly treated region was the back. The association rule analysis showed that Feishu (BL 13)-Dazhui (GV 14)-Fengmen (BL 12) had the most significant correlation, and the clustering analysis discovered 5 effective acupoint clusters. Conclusion: In moxibustion treatment of asthma, topical acupoints Feishu (BL 13), Dazhui (GV 14) and Fengmen (BL 12) can be selected, along with the acupoints from the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang and the back.