Hunyuan moxibustion for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome of spleen and kidney yang deficiency: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

To compare the therapeutic effect between Hunyuan moxibustion and oral western medication on diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome（IBS-D）of spleen and kidney yang deficiency. Sixty patients with IBS-D of spleen and kidney yang deficiency were randomly divided into a Hunyuan moxibustion group and a western medication group, 30 cases each group. The Hunyuan moxibustion group was treated with Hunyuan moxibustion at Guanyuan（CV 4），40 min each time, once a day; in the western medication group，loperamide hydrochloride capsules (2 mg each time, 3 times a day) and bacillus licheniformis live capsules (0.5 g each time, 3 times a day) were given orally.Both groups were treated for 20 days. The scores of irritable bowel syndrome（IBS）symptom severity scale（IBS-SSS）, IBS quality of life scale (IBS-QOL) and TCM symptom grading quantitative were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated in the two groups. After treatment，each item scores and total scores of IBS-SSS in the two groups were lower than those before treatment（P<0.05）, and the total scores of IBS-QOL were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05)；each item score and total score of IBS-SSS in the Hunyuan moxibustion group were lower than those in the western medication group (P<0.05), and the total score of IBS-QOL in the Hunyuan moxibustion group was higher than that in the western medication group (P<0.05).After treatment, each item score and total score of TCM symptom grading quantitative in the Hunyuan moxibustion group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), the abdominal pain, diarrhea, lack of appetite scores and total score in the western medication group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05)；and the abdominal pain, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, fear to cold and cold limbs scores and total score in the Hunyuan moxibustion group were lower than those in the western medication group (P<0.05).The total effective rate was 90.0%（27/30）in the Hunyuan moxibustion group, which was higher than 73.3%（22/30）in the western medication group (P<0.05). No adverse reactions occurred in both groups during treatment. Hunyuan moxibustion can effectively improve the symptom severity and quality of life in patients with IBS-D of spleen and kidney yang deficiency, especially in improving the symptoms of abdominal pain, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, fear to cold and cold limbs.Its therapeutic effect is superior to western medication.