Clinical Research On Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis By Electromagnetic Therapy Combined With Electro-acupuncture

Objective:Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune diseases with chronic destructive polyarthritis as its main performance. This disease can cause the involvement joints pain, swelling, deformity and functional disable, resulting in varying degrees of disability. The incidence rate of this disease in China is about 0.32% to 0.36%, which is one major cause of population in our country losing the capacity for physical labour and become disable. It has an important clinical significance to search one treatment to control the inflammation and relieve symptoms,as well as to improve the patients'health status, yet affordable and less side-effects. Over the years, a large number of acupuncture scholars dedicated to the exploration of rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous clinical studies have confirmed that electro-acupuncture therapy has a significant effect, good at stop pain, and is popularized in clinical use. On the other hand, the electromagnetic therapy has a good anti-inflammatory, reduces swelling, analgesic effect.And it is also easily accepted by the patients because of not producing pain in the treatment process, low cost, and fewer side effects. Through a prospective research methods, this research adopts common diagnostic criteria and curative evaluation standards to observe the clinical effect on treating rheumatoid arthritis by electromagnetic therapy combined with electro-acupuncture. Through comparing with simple electro-acupuncture therapy, we discuss the clinical application value and promote significance of this comprehensive treatment.Methods:Adopting random and compared research methods,we select a total of 60 rheumatoid arthritis patients who are in the inflammatory activity period. The patients were randomly divided into electromagnetic therapy combined with electro-acupuncture treatment group and the simple electro-acupuncture therapy for the control group, both 30 cases. Both groups were treated 20 times, that is,1 time each day,5 times a week, rest 2 days then go on the treatment, continuous for 4 weeks. The Pain intensity, Duration of morning stiffness, Grip strength of both hands on average, Tender joint counts (TJC) and the index, Swollen joint counts (SJC) and index, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C-reactive Protein (CRP), Rheumatoid Factor (RF), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ table) and other items are observed and recorded before and after the treatment of two groups. Then we make the comprehensive efficacy evaluation according to the standard.Result:In terms of symptoms and signs, the two groups after treatment, pain intensity, duration of morning stiffness, grip strength average hands, tender joint counts (TJC) and the index, swollen joint counts and indices were improved compared with before treatment, the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05); between the two groups, the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05), prompt treatment group superior improvement compared with the control group.In the aspects of laboratory indicators, after treatment, both groups could reduce the ESR, CRP and RF index, compared with treatment before, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Between the two groups, the treatment group decreased ESR, CRP favorable terms more superiorly than the control group, the difference between them was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the difference in the comparison of RF index was no significant difference (P>0.05).In health status, both the two groups after treatment, HAQ scores improved compared with before treatment, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); between the two groups, two groups of similar improvement, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05).In effect, the total effective rate of the control group was 93.3%, while the control group was 80%, and two groups were significantly different (P <0.05), The efficacy of the treatment group is better than the control group. Both the two groups were no obvious adverse reactions.Conclusion:(1)Both electromagnetic therapy combined with electro-acupuncture and simple electro-acupuncture therapy can ease the symptoms of the patients who are suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the activity period,and they can also improve the patient's health status. (2) Electromagnetic therapy combined with electro-acupuncture in reducing symptoms of active inflammatory and the index such as ESR, CRP is more superior than simple electro-acupuncture therapy.The effect is more significant, indicating that electromagnetic therapy combined with electro-acupuncture is more effective in controlling active RA patients'illness, and it also has security, therefore,it is worth in clinical use.