The Clinical Therapeutic Effect Study Of Spirit Regulation Acupuncture Method Combining Methimazole On Treating Patients With Incipient Graves Disease

ObjectiveGD is one of the most common type of hyperthyroidism, which brings catastrophic consequence on human health. It have been proved that the majority of GD patients had psycho stimulation or trauma prior to the onset of the disease. In TCM theory, emotional problem is the fundamental cause of GD. Recently, Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment have achieved good curative effect on hyperthyroidism, moreover, spirit regulation method can achieve marked improvement on mental and physical symptom and should be applied throughout the whole treatment. This study had inculded 58 GD patients,28 patients were allocated into treatment group and 30 into control group. Changes on Depression symptom, anxiety symptom, throid function and size of the throid gland of patients with incipient Graves disease were observed after the treatment of spirit regulation acupuncture method combining methimazole. Therefor provides clinical evidence on applying spirit regulation acupuncture to reduce mentaland physical symptom.MethodsPatients from control group received methimazole with initial dose of 30 mg/d. Thyroid function were monitored every month, dosage adjustment were made according GD treatment guidelines. Patients from treatment group received acupuncture treatment 3 times a week. Spirit stabilizer points Four spirit points, four gates were chosen as main points. Associated points were chosen according to differentiation. ST40,SP6 were added for phlegm-qi stagnation. PC8、HT7、PC6、LR2 were added for liver fire blazing. KI3、ST36 were added for heart and liver yin deficiency. Needles were detained for 1 hour, lifting and thrusting tonification and reduction method were applied every 15 minutes. Treatment on both groups last 3 months. Thyroid function、the size of the thyroid、HAMD scores、HAMA scores were accessed and collected before and after the treatment.Result:(1) treatment group achieved better improvement on depression and anxiety than control group. Those differences had achieved statistically significant level.(2)treatment group achieved marked statistically significantly better improvement on FT3 serum level than control group, whereas reducing FT4 serum level and increasing TSH serum level on both groups were subtle.(3)treatment group achieved better improvement on thyroid gland enlargement than control group. Those differences had achieved statistically significant level.Conclusion:(1) spirit regulation acupuncture method combining methimazole rendered better improvement on depression and anxiety, than methimazole alone.(2) spirit regulation acupuncture method combining methimazole is better in reducing FT3 serum level than methimazole alone, whereas both groups showed no statistically significant differences on reducing FT4 serum level and increasing TSH serum level.(3) spirit regulation acupuncture method combining methimazole is better in reducing thyroid gland enlargement than methimazole alone.