OBJECTIVETo probe the therapeutic effect and safety of ginger-salt-partitioned moxibustion on urination disorders poststroke.

METHODSEighty-two cases of cerebral apoplexy, including cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, with urination disorders induced by neurogenic bladder at restoration stage were randomly divided into a treatment group treated with ginger-salt-partitioned moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and routine acupuncture, and a control group treated with routine acupuncture. Thirty-nine cases in the treatment group and 36 cases in the control group completed all treatments. The treatment was given 5 times each week and the therapeutic effects were observed after treatment of 3 consecutive weeks.

RESULTSGinger-salt-partitioned moxibustion in improvement of mean urination times of each day, mean times to be asked to awaken for the nursing personnel at night, mean times of urgent urinary incontinence at day for the patient, cases-times of urinary incontinence of the patient at night, and increasing degree of urinary incontinence was better than the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONGinger-salt-partitioned moxibustion is a safe and effective therapy for urination disorders poststroke.