[Herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel for anovulatory infertility:a randomized controlled trial]

Objective: To observe the efficacy differences between herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel and clomiphene for anovulatory infertility.

Methods: With double-blind double-dummy randomized control method, a total of 40 patients with anovulatory infertility were randomly divided into a moxibustion group and a clomiphene group, 20 cases in each one. Blinding was conducted on both patients and doctors. The patients in the moxibustion group were treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion on navel and oral administration of clomiphene placebo, while the patients in the clomiphene group were treated with placebo-partitioned moxibustion on navel and oral administration of clomiphene. The herb-partitioned moxibustion and placebo-partitioned moxibustion were given at the end of menstruation, 1.5 hours per treatment, once a week, and no treatment was given during menstruation. The oral administration of clomiphene and clomiphene placebo were given from 5 days into menstruation, 50 mg, once a day, for consecutive 5 days. One menstrual cycle was taken as one treatment course, and 3 treatment courses were conducted. After 3 treatment courses, the endometrial thickness (ET), maximum follicular diameter (MFD), ovulation rate (OR) and effective rate (ER) were evaluated between the two groups.

Results: (1) Compared before treatment, ET was significantly increased after treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05); after treatment, the ET in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the clomiphene group (P<0.05). (2) After treatment, MFD was significantly increased in the moxibustion group (P<0.05) and insignificantly increased in the clomiphene group (P>0.05); the MFD in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the clomiphene group (P<0.05). (3) The OR was 75.0% (15/20) and 65.0% (13/20) in the two groups respectively, which were not significantly different (P>0.05). (4) The total ER in the moxibustion group was 95.0% (19/20), which was superior to 70.0% (14/20) in the clomiphene group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The clinical efficacy of herb-partitioned moxibustion at navel on anovulatory infertility was superior to that of clomiphene, but their effects on OR was similar.