OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy differences between herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel and clomiphene for anovulatory infertility.

METHODSWith double-blind double-dummy randomized control method, a total of 40 patients with anovulatory infertility were randomly divided into a moxibustion group and a clomiphene group, 20 cases in each one. Blinding was conducted on both patients and doctors. The patients in the moxibustion group were treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel and oral administration of clomiphene placebo, while the patients in the clomiphene group were treated with placebo-partitioned moxibustion on navel and oral administration of clomiphene. The herb-partitioned moxibustion and placebo-partitioned moxibustion were given at the end of menstruation, 1.5 hours per treatment, once a week, and no treatment was given during menstruation. The oral administration of clomiphene and clomiphene placebo were given from 5 days into menstruation, 50 mg, once a day, for consecutive 5 days. One menstrual cycle was taken as one treatment course, and 3 treatment courses were conducted. After 3 treatment courses, the endometrial thickness (ET), maximum follicular diameter (MFD), ovulation rate (OR) and effective rate (ER) were evaluated between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) Compared before treatment, ET was significantly increased after treatment in the two groups (both<0.05); after treatment, the ET in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the clomiphene group (<0.05). (2) After treatment, MFD was significantly increased in the moxibustion group (<0.05) and insignificantly increased in the clomiphene group (>0.05); the MFD in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the clomiphene group (<0.05). (3) The OR was 75.0% (15/20) and 65.0% (13/20) in the two groups respectively, which were not significantly different (>0.05). (4) The total ER in the moxibustion group was 95.0% (19/20), which was superior to 70.0% (14/20) in the clomiphene group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical efficacy of herb-partitioned moxibustion at navel on anovulatory infertility was superior to that of clomiphene, but their effects on OR was similar.