OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion periodic therapy on folli-cular maldevelopment differentiated as spleen and kidneydeficiency.

METHODSSixty patients of follicular maldevelopment differentiated as spleen and kidneydeficiency were randomized as an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. The conventional acupuncture-moxibustion therapy was used in the control group and the acupuncture-moxibustion periodic therapy was applied to the observation group. In the control group, the acupoints were selected in terms of spleen and kidneydeficiency, such as Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3), Xuehai (SP 10) and Zigong (EX-CA 1). In the observation group, the acupoints were selected in terms of the physiological characteristics of follicular phase, ovulatory phase, luteal phase and menstrual phase. The main acupoints were Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3) and Xuehai (SP 10). The acupoints for benefiting kidneywere added in the follicular phase, such as Guanyuan (CV 4) and Dahe (KI 12), etc. The acupoints for regulatingand activating blood circulation were added in the ovulatory phase, such as Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3), etc. The moxibustion was added for tonifying kidneyin the luteal phase, such as Qihai (CV 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4). The treatment was discontinued during the menstrual phase in the two groups. In the rest phases, acupuncture and moxibustion were given once every two days, 30 min each time. The overall efficacy, basal body temperature (BBT), follicular development, the average endometrial thickness and morphology as well as TCM syndrome score of spleen and kidneydeficiency were observed in the patients after 3-month menstrual periods. The adverse reactions were recorded in the two groups.

RESULTSIn the observation group, one case gave up the treatment due to the personal reason and another one stopped the treatment due to suffering from another kind of disease. 28 cases were included totally. In the control group, 3 cases were dropped out since attempting to receive in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and 27 cases were finally included. The total effective rate was 92.9% (26/28) in the observation group, better than 85.2% (23/27) in the control group (<0.05). Except the endometrial morphology in the control group, after treatment, BBT, follicular development, the average endometrial thickness and morphology as well as TCM syndrome score were all improved apparently after treatment in the two groups (all<0.05). The improvements in follicular development, endometrial morphology and TCM syndrome score in the observation group were more obvious as compared with those in the control group (all<0.05). The incidence of the adverse reaction was 7.1% (2/28) in the observation group and was 3.7% (1/27) in the control group, indicating mild adverse reaction that could be relieved naturally.

CONCLUSIONSThe treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion achieves the significant efficacy on follicular maldevelopment differentiated as spleen and kidneydeficiency. Compared with conventional acupuncture-moxibustion therapy, the periodic therapy of acupuncture and moxibustion achieves the much better clinical efficacy.