| ObjectiveThe clinical efficacies of the treatments of the delayed menstrual cycles using the "gynecological Acupoint, Huanchao Acupoint, No.1,2 and 3 Zimei Acupoints" in Dong’s true channels and extraordinary acupoints in acupuncture were studied, and further and profound explorations were conducted on the characteristics of Dong’s true channels and extraordinary acupoints and the mechanism for the acupoint selections for this disorder so as to provide more diversified treatment approaches and make it become one of the non-drug TCM treatment schemes.MethodsThe patients were respectively sampled from the Out-patient Department of the Acupuncrure Rehab Clinic of Ruibang TCM Hospital, Xuwen County, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, who were confirmed to have been diagnosed with patients with the delayed menstrual cycles based on the diagnostic criteria, inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria; a total of 66 cases of qualified subjects were chosen. With the use of the random number table, the patients were randomly distributed into the Experiment Group (Dong’s True Channel Acupuncture Group) and the Controls (the traditional fourteen True Channel Acupuncture Group), with 33 cases in each group. During the observation period, the patients were strictly forbidden from taking any estrogen drugs. The treatment was started after each menstruation was clear, with 3 times of acupunctures each week, and 12 acupunctures were 1 course, and the treatments went on for 3 courses and no treatments were given during the menstruation periods. Upon completion of the 3 courses, assessments of rating scales were respectively conducted on the patients of the two groups and the clinical curative efficacies were evaluated based on the indicators.ResultsPrior to the treatment, comparisons were made between the Dong’s True Channel Acupuncture Group (the "gynecological Acupoint, Huanchao Acupoint, No.1,2 and 3 Zimei Acupoints") and the controls (Qihai Acupoint, Guanyuan Acupoint, Sanyinjiao Acupoint, Jiaoxin Acupoint and Guilai Acupoint), and they were judged based on the overall curative effects after three treatment courses; among the 33 cases of the treatment group using Dong’s Extraordinary Acupoints, 26 cases were completely cured, accounting for 78.79%,5 mitigated,15.15%, 2 uncured,6.06%, with a total cure rate of 93.94%. Among the 33 cases treated with the traditional true channels,19 cases were cured, accounting for 57.58%, 5 mitigated,15.15%,2 uncured,27.27, with a total cure rate of 72.73%, and the result of the intra-group rank sum test was (P＜0.05), indicating that the curative effects can be maintained over 3 months. The Dong’s Acupuncture is obviously superior to the Tue Channel Group, and the differences feature statistical significance.Among them, it was revealed by the statistical rank sum tests that in the comparisons of Dong’s Acupuncture Group and the traditional true channel group, the values of the former in such TCM symptoms as the menstrual cycles, menstrual days, menstrual volume, dysmenorrheal, intolerance of cold and chilled limbs, dizziness and tinnitus, backache and incapability, cold and pain of the lower abdomen and distension of the lower abdomen are obviously lower than those of the True Channel Group (P＜0.05), indicating that regarding the improvements of such symptoms as the menstrual cycles, menstrual days, menstrual volume, dysmenorrheal, intolerance of cold and chilled limbs, dizziness and tinnitus, backache and incapability, cold and pain of the lower abdomen and distension of the lower abdomen are markedly superior than those of the True Channel Group.ConclusionThe treatments of women’s delayed menstrual cycles using the "Gynecological Acupoint; Huanchao Acupoint, No.1,2 and 3 Zimei Acupoints" in Dong’s true channels and extraordinary acupoints feature obvious clinical efficacies, and they completely avoid such relatively dangerous locations of the organs as the chest and the abdomen, and neither do they adopt the tonifying-purging approaches in the ancient acupuncture, thus greatly reducing the patients’discomforts and effectively preventing the fainting during acupuncture treatment caused by the excessive stimulation of the traditional acupuncture practice and providing an acupuncture manipulation method that features higher clinical safety. |
