The authors undertook acupuncture-moxibustion therapy for 34 patients with vertigo. In order to objectify the patients' condition and the efficacy of the treatment, we ranked the severity of symptoms and standardized the treatment procedure, and also we set up the criterion for evaluation of efficaciousness.
The severity of symptoms was determined according to the result of some tests (for nystagmus and balance) as well as patient's chief complaints: the incidence and the intensity of feelings of rotation, giddiness, etc.
Treatment was undertaken once a week. One course was consist of ten treatments. Scarless moxibustion was applied to the Second Dadun point in the first course, and body-acupuncture was added to the moxibustion in the second course. In the third course, the scarless moxibustion, the body-acupuncture, auricular-acupuncture and scalp skin acupuncture were undertaken.
The efficaciousness of the treatment was rated as “remarkably efficacious”, “very efficacious”, “efficacious” or “no change” according to the changes in patients' complaints and the results of the tests performed after each course.
Twelve of the patients showed improvement after the first course (remarkably efficacious) and other twelve after the second course (very efficacious), and five of them after the third course (effecacious). The other five patients underwent more than four courses (no change).
In conclusion, improvement was seen in 85% of the patients after 30 sessions of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment including scarless moxibustion to the Second Dadun, body and auricular-acupuncture.