OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of Chinese Medicine internal-external combined therapy (consisting of orally taking Chinese drugs and external acupoint sticking) for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the stable period.

METHODSOne hundred and seventy-eight COPD patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the control group was treated with Atrovent Metered Dose Inhalation, oral taking Mucosolvan and Bailing Capsule, and acupoint sticking with dummy plaster; the treatment group was treated with ipratropium bromide aerosol, ambroxol hydrochloride, Chinese recipe prescribed according to syndrome differentiation, and combined with acupoint sticking with Xiaochuan Plaster applied in winters and summers (3 times in a season). All were treated for three months. Changes of the Chinese medicine syndrome scores, quality of life (QOL), and the pulmonary function in patients before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTSScores of Chinese medicine syndrome and QOL in the treatment group were significantly improved after treatment with the effect better than those in the control group (P < 0.05), but the change of the pulmonary function was insignificant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChinese medicine internal-external combined therapy shows definite effect in treating COPD patients in the stable stage, it could distinctively alleviate clinical symptoms and improve the QOL of patients.