OBJECTIVETo observe the impacts on repeated common cold for the adults with different constitutions treated by acupoint application in the dog days (the three periods of the hottest days) and the three nine-day periods after the winter solstice (the three periods of the coldest days).

METHODSOne hundred and fifty-two cases of repeated common cold were divided into four zones according to the body constitution. Each zone was sub-divided into a group of the dog days + the three nine-day periods of the coldest days (group A), and a simple group of the dog periods (group B). In both groups, Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Tiantu (CV 22), Danzhong (CV 17), Zhongfu (LU 1) and Shenshu (BL 23) were selected. In group A, the acupoint application was given on the 1st or 2nd day of the first, second and third periods of the hottest days in 2010, as well as the 1st or 2nd day of the first, second and third periods of the coldest days in 2010 separately. In group B, the acupoint application was only given on the 1st or 2nd day of the first, second and third periods of the hottest days in 2010. The follow-up visit was conducted before the acupoint application in the three periods of the coldest days in 2010 and before the acupoint application in the three periods of the hottest days in 2011. Additionally, the frequency of disease attack and the symptom score in sickness were taken as the observation indices for the efficacy assessment in both groups.

RESULTS(1) In both groups, the attack frequency was reduced obviously in half a year after the three periods of the hottest days for the patients of qi deficiency constitution, yang deficiency constitution and qi stagnation constitution and the clinical symptom score were reduced apparently (all P<0.01), which were superior to those for the patients of phlegm damp constitution (P<0.01, P<0.05). For the patients of phlegm damp constitution, only the clinical symptom score was reduced (P<0.01). (2) In group A, the improvements were received in the attack frequency and the clinical symptom score in half a year after the three periods of the coldest days for the patients of those four constitutions as compared with those before treatment (all P<0.01). In group B, the attack frequency and the clinical symptom score were all back to the level as those before treatment. (3) In group A, in half a year after the three periods of the coldest days, the efficacy for reducing the attack frequency and the improvements in the clinical symptoms were better than those in group B (all P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe acupoint application in the dog days and the three nine-day periods after the winter solstice reduces the attack frequency and relieves the clinical symptoms of common cold for the adults of individual constitutions to different extents. The efficacy can be further improved in the treatment with the acupoint application in the three nine-day periods after the winter solstice half a year after the acupoint application in the dog days.