OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy differences between acupoint plaster therapy with midnight-noon ebb-flow hour-prescription method and traditional acupoint plaster therapy for senile osteoporosis (SOP).

METHODSWith randomized controlled blind design, 76 SOP patients with deficiency of liver and kidney syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 38 cases in each one. Based on oral administration of caltrate D, the patients in the observation group were treated with acupoint plaster therapy with midnight-noon ebb-flow hour-prescription method at Yingu (KI 10), Taixi (KI 3), Dazhong (KI 4), Fuliu (KI 7) and Zhiyin (BL 67), while the patients in the control group were treated with traditional acupoint plaster therapy. Each plaster therapy lasted for 6 h, once a day; there was an interval of 2 d after consecutive 5-day treatment; 4 weeks were taken as one course, and totally 2 courses were given. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate the pain and dysfunction before intervention, after 4 weeks and 8 weeks intervention. Osteoporosis symptom rating sale and quality of life questionnaire of the European foundation for Osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-41) were adopted to evaluate the TCM syndrome and quality of life before and after 8-week intervention.

RESULTSAll the outcomes were significantly improved after treatment in the two groups (<0.01,<0.05); after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of treatment, the VAS and ODI in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (all<0.05). Repeated ANOVA indicated the VAS and ODI were significant in group effect, time effect and interaction effect (all<0.01). Further comparison showed that VAS and ODI at later time points were lower than those in the early time points (all<0.01). After the treatment, the scores of TCM syndrome and QUALEFFO-41 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (all<0.05). The effective rate was 85.7% (30/35) in the observation group, which was superior to the effective rate in the control group[74.3%(26/35),<0.05].

CONCLUSIONSThe acupoint plaster therapy with midnight-noon ebb-flow hour-prescription method is superior to traditional acupoint plaster therapy in improving pain, dysfunction, TCM syndrome and quality of life in SOP patients; in addition, its clinical efficacy is significant.