Clinical Study On The Treatment Of Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia With Opposing Needling Plus Warming-promoting Needling At Fengchi

ObjectiveThis research was a randomized Controlled trial, and it was to observe the treatment of primary trigeminal neuralgia(PTN) using opposing needling plus warming-promoting needling at point fengchi and try to find out the mechanism of this way from the change of B-EP. The purpose of this research was to provide a more effective, repeatable operation, as well as an economic, simple and safe clinical acupuncture treatment for PTN patientsMethodSixty-two appropriate PTN patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,31 cases in each one. These two groups both used carbamazepine as basic therapy. Patients in the treatment group were treated with opposing needling plus warming-promoting needling at point fengchi. Firstly, Fengchi on affected side was selected, after deqi, which was needled by warming-promoting needling, and then Hegu, Houxi, Zhongzhu, Neiting, Kunlun, Zulinqi on the contralateral side were needled with twirling reducing method. While patients in the control group were treated with the routine acupuncture, in which the acupoints were selected according to the routine acupoints of "Facial pain". During the experiment, the patients’timely conditions, including visual analog scale (VAS), quality of life score, pain symptom score, and the content of B-EP in blood, were recorded on the previous day before the treatment and the following day after it.Results1. During the treatment period, two patients were lost, each group had one case, in the end,60 patients completed the study.2. Efficacy rate:After 8 weeks of treatment, in the treatment group 5 subjects were cured,17 were markedly effective,6 effective,2 ineffective and the general effective rate was 93.33%, markedly effective rate was 73.33%. While In the control group 2 subjects were cured,12 were markedly effective, 11 effective,5 ineffective and the general effective rate was 83.33%, markedly effective rate was 46.67%. After Statistical analysis, the difference of efficacy between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), and the treatment group was better than the control group.3. VAS score comparison:After 8 weeks of treatment, in these two group, the differences of VAS score between before treatment and after treatment were both statistically significant (P<0.01). And the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05)4. quality of life score comparison:After 8 weeks of treatment, in these two group, the differences of quality of life score between before treatment and after treatment were both statistically significant (P<0.01).And the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05)5. Pain symptom score comparison:After 8 weeks of treatment, in these two group, the differences of pain symptom score between before treatment and after treatment were both statistically signif icant(P<0.01). And the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05)6. The content of B-EP in blood comparison:Before treatment, the content of B-EP in blood of these two group were both lower than those of the healthy people, and the differences were both statistically significant (P<0.01) After 8 weeks of treatment, the content of B-EP in these two groups was higher than before, and difference were both statistically significant (P<0.01).And the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05)ConclusionThe results of this study indicates that the opposing needling plus warming-promoting needling and the routine acupuncture both can improve the clinical symptoms of the patients of PTN on VAS, quality of life score, pain symptom score. But the opposing needling plus warming-promoting needling is better than the routine acupuncture.The content of B-EP in the PTN patients was lower than that in healthy people, which indicates that the ability to inhibit pain of PTN patient is lower than healthy people. After the treatment, these two acupuncture method both can improve the content of B-EP so as to improve the ability to inhibit pain. And the opposing needling plus warming-promoting needling is better than the routine acupuncture. Improving the content of B-EP may be the mechanism of acupuncture to cure the PTN.