| This Thesis is based on summarizing articles, theoretical discussion, clinical research and statistical analysis etc. It debates on a primary level the clinical effect of Chinese moxibustions as additional treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).Its intention is to observe Chinese moxibustion's clinical effect on RA and the immunesystem.Method and study-design:Using Chinese Moxibustion in addition with medicinal treatment and pure medicinal treatment, the study observes changes in symptoms, joint-pain immunological responses, further comparing and analysing the two groups clinical results. It discusses the observations in aspects of the treatment method's clinical effect and possible physiological mechanism. A total of 30 Patients in this study were selected from Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Chinese medicine, first affiliated hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese medicine, in the timeperiod May to December 2008. These patients were randomly divided into a moxibustion and medicinal treatment group (treatmentgroup) of 16 patients and a pure medicinal treatment group (control group) of 14 patients. According to the condition and examination results of the patients, each group were distributed appropriate western and Chinese medicine. The treatment group were given moxibustion treatment in addition to administration of medicine, the control group were only administrated medicinal treatment. The treatment group's moxibustion method was "non-scaring moxibustion" (comfortable warm and red skin appearance confirming therapeutic effect). This method was conducted on two sets of acupuncture-points: Set 1: CV1/Guanyuan, ST36/Zusnli, Set 2: BL20/Pishu, BL23/Shenshu. Both sets were treated bilaterally. A set's acupuncture points were stimulated 5-7 min. each time, once a day, alternating between the two sets every other day. Total time of treatment was 2 weeks. Before and after the treatment period, each patient's clinical manifestations and immunological-examination results were recorded, later using statistical software SSPS 15.0 to analyse the results.Results:The clinical results from the two groups, even if not reaching statistical significance after comparing the recorded observations, still expresses a tendency of superior changes in symptoms of the treatment-group (moxibustion + medicinal treatment). Changes in observations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Immune-globulin G (IgG) compared with the control-group, both showed statistical significance (p<0.05). Concidering the observation of ESR, CRP, RF in both groups, Moxibustion in combination with medicinal treatment of "damp heat blocking the collaterals pattern", reaches statistical significance (chitest) of p<0.05, suggesting this combination have good immune regulating effect. Chinese Moxibustion in addition with medicinal treatment of RA, have regulating effect of both CRP and IgG, The same regulating effect of RF, ESR and IgM, can be seen in treatment of "damp heat blocking the collaterals pattern".Conclusions:1. Chinese moxibustion combined with medicinaal treatment and single medical tratment, have both satisfactory clinical results.2. Combined treatment of RA with Chinese moxibustion and conventional medicine, have distinct immune regulating functions to CRP and IgG3. Combined medicinal treatment with Chinese moxibustion applied to TCM pattern of "damp heat blocking the collaterals pattern", shows an overall good regulating effect of ESR, CRP and RF.4. Chinese moxibustion can clinically be applied as supplementing treatment to RA. It's an inexpensive method, who's application is easy and can be done by the patient personally. With no known side-effects, its clinical effectiveness and potential, can lower the patient's suffering and economic burden. In a social-medical view-point Chinese moxibustion holds a wide range of effects and potensial.
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