OBJECTIVETo verify the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with auricle cutting method for treatment of blood stasis-type psoriasis.

METHODSFifty-six cases of blood stasis-type psoriasis were randomly divided into a combined therapy group, a auricle cutting group, an acupuncture group and a control group, 14 cases in each one. Based on regular treatment of TCM decoction in four groups, the combined therapy group was treated with acupuncture and auricle cutting method, and the auricle cutting group was treated with sham-acupuncture and auricle cutting, and the acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture and sham auricle cutting, and the control group was treated with sham-acupuncture and sham auricle cutting. The acupuncture was applied at Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Ganshu (BL 18) and Geshu (BL 17), etc., and manipulated with routine technique; in the sham acupuncture, the needle was inserted into dermis layer so that the needles could be swung without being dropped out. In the auricle cutting, erbeixin (P1) of unilateral auricle was selected and cut by Chan needle to perform bloodletting; in the sham auricle cutting, the neighborhood approximately 0.5 cm next to erbeixin (P) of auricle was selected as cutting area. The treatment was given once a day, seven days as a treatment session for totally two sessions. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) before and after treatment was observed and efficacy of each group was compared.

RESULTSThe effective rate was 57.1% (8/14) in the combined therapy group, which was superior to 14.3% (2/14) in the auricle cutting group, 7.1% (1/14) in the acupuncture group and 0.0% (0/14) in the control group (all P < 0.05). The scores of PASI were all decreased in each group after the treatment (all P < 0.05), which was the most significant in the combined therapy group (all P < 0.05). After factorial analysis, the main effect was P < 0.05 in the auricle cutting, P < 0.05 in the acupuncture and P < 0.05 in interaction effect of combined therapy.

CONCLUSIONThe scores of PASI of blood stasis-type psoriasis could be effectively reduced by acupuncture, auricle cutting method and TCM decoction, among which the interaction effect of auricle cutting and acupuncture combined with TCM decoction is the most significant.