OBJECTIVETo observe clinical therapeutic effect of monkshood cake-separated mild-warm moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Xiyan (EX-LE 5) on knee osteoarthritis.

METHODSThe patients of monkshood cake-separated mild-warm moxibustion group were treated with monkshood cake-separated mild-warm moxibustion at Dubi (ST 35), Zusanli (ST 36) and Neixiyan (EX-LE 4) on the affected side, and the medication group with oral administration of Xianling Gubao Capsules. After treatment for 4 weeks, VAS and index of severity of osteoarthritis (ISOA scale) were used for assessment of clinical therapeutic effect.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the arthralgia and the index of severity significantly improved in the two groups (P < 0.01), and the analgesic effect and improvement of ISOA in the monkshood cake-separated mild-warm moxibustion group were better than those in the medication group (P < 0.05). The basic clinical cured rate was 80.0% and the effect-producing time was (10.91 +/- 4.17) days in the monkshood cake-separated mild-warm moxibustion group, and 53.3% and (12.28 +/- 4.60) days in the medication group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTherapeutic effect of monkshood cake-separated mild-warm moxibustion on knee osteoarthritis is better than that of oral administration of Xianling Gubao Capsules.