OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of different ignition locations of moxa stick on temperature of needle body and surrounding environment during warm needling, so as to provide experimental references for clinical manipulation.

METHODSA high-accuracy infrared temperature measuring instrument was applied during warm needling to measure the temperature of needle body and surrounding environment at different ignition locations. The ignition method was divided into 2 ignition types with 4 measuring locations. The first method was to ignite moxa stick from upper-end to measure the temperature of needle body and surrounding environment 2 cm and 3 cm away from bottom-end of moxa stick; the second one was to ignite moxa stick from bottom-end to measure the temperature of needle body and surrounding environment 2 cm and 3 cm away bottom-end of moxa stick. Each ignition method was repeatedly measured for 5 times. The averaging values of measurement results which were processed with superposition method at identical time point were used to draw a temperature curve.

RESULTSWith any identical ignition method, the maintenance time of moxibustion temperature 2 cm away from bottom-end of moxa stick was longer by 3 min compared with that from 3 cm, for bottom-end ignition and upper-end ignition, in the case of 30 degrees C to 35 degrees, more ignition time could be kept from bottom-end ignition; in the case of more than 35 degrees C, the maximum temperature of needle body by upper-end ignition was higher by 5 degrees C than that by bottom-end ignition. The bottom-end ignition could achieve earlier effective initial time of moxibustion temperature. From the curves, bottom-end ignition was characterized by left-shift peak while upper-end ignition was characterized by right-shift peak.

CONCLUSIONThe ignition location of warming needling seems to be reasonable if moxa stick is ignited from bottom end which is 2 to 3 cm away from skin.