OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects differences and partial mechanism for chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP) among drug oil moxibustion, simple moxibustion, and conventional western medicine.

METHODSA total of 120 patients who met the criteria of inclusion were randomly assigned into a drug oil moxibustion group, a moxibustion group and a western medication group, 40 cases in each one. Moxibustion was used at Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), Qihai (CV 6) and bilateral Yinlingquan (SP 9), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenshu (BL 23), Mingmen (GV 4), Pangguangshu (BL 28), Ciliao (BL 32), and Zhibian (BL 54), etc. The same moxibustion was used at the same acupoints in the drug oil moxibustion group after external application of medicated oil. Thirty min treatment was used once a day in alternated abdomen and back. In the western medication group, oral tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules were applied once a day, one capsule at a time. All the treatment was given for 30 days. Chronic prostatitis symptom index from National Institutes for Health (NIH-CPSI), the contents of Zinc (Zn) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as the number of white blood cells (WBC) and density of lecithin bodies were observed before and after treatment and 1 month after treatment. The effects were evaluated after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the total effective rate of the drug oil moxibustion group was 90.0% (36/40), which was significantly higher than 72.5% (29/40) of the moxibustion group and 62.5% (25/40) of the western medication group (both<0.05). After treatment and at follow-up in the three groups, the NIH-CPSI scores were lower than those before treatment (all<0.05), and those in the drug oil moxibustion group were lower than the results in the moxibustion group and the western medication group (all<0.05). The contents of Zn in the three groups were higher than those before treatment (all<0.05), with better results in the drug oil moxibustion group (all<0.05), and higher Zn contents in the moxibustion group compared with those in the western medication group (both<0.05). The CRP levels were lower than those before treatment (all<0.05), and those in the drug oil moxibustion group were better than those in the moxibustion group and western medication group (all<0.05). The CRP contents in the moxibustion group were lower than those in the western medication group (both<0.05). The number of WBC were lower than those before treatment (all<0.05), with better results in the drug oil moxibustion group (all<0.05). The concentrations of lecithin were higher than those before treatment (all<0.05), with better results in the drug oil moxibustion group (all<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical effect of drug oil moxibustion is better than those of simple moxibustion and western medicine, which has advantages in improving clinical symptoms, Zn, the density of lecithin body and decreasing CRP content and the number of WBC.