OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effects of bird-pecking moxibustion in children of hand, foot and mouth disease, and to analyze the mechanism.

METHODSSeventy-five children of hand, foot and mouth disease were randomly divided into 3 groups, a combined moxibustion and medicine group (n = 22), a Chinese medicine group (n = 29), and a western medicine group (n = 24). The combined moxibustion and medicine group was treated with bird-pecking moxibustion combined with routine western medicine, the Chinese medicine group with oral administration of Chinese medicine and routine western medical therapy, and the western medicine group with routine western medicine. After treatment of 7 days, the therapeutic effects on skin rash, oral herpes, constipation or loose stool, dyspepsia and anorexia, etc. were comprehensively assessed, and their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 95.5% in the combined moxibustion and medicine group, 86.2% in the Chinese medicine group, and 83.3% in the western medicine group, the former being significantly better than those of the other two groups (both P < 0.05). The combined moxibustion and medicine group was significantly better than the other two groups in the relieving time of skin rash, oral herpes, constipation or loose stool, dyspepsia and anorexia, etc. (all P < 0.05)

CONCLUSIONThe combined moxibustion and medication can effectively improve symptoms of the digestive tract, shorten duration of disease, reduce pain in the patient with hand, foot and mouth disease.