Objective: To observe the effect differences between herb-partition moxibustion and starch-partition moxibustion at navel for constipation with excess syndrome.
Methods: Sixty patients were randomly assigned into an herb-partition moxibustion at navel group (herbal group) and a starch-partition moxibustion at navel group (starch group), 30 cases in each one. The acupoint was Shenque (CV 8) in the two groups. The treatment was given once a week and 4 times totally. Scores for constipation degree and quality of life (PAC-QOL) were observed before and after treatment and at follow-up; clinical effects were compared between the two groups as well.
Results: After treatment, the scores of constipation degree and QOL were lower than those before treatment in the herbal group (P<0.01,P<0.05), which were better than those of the starch group (P<0.01,P<0.05). Good effects were achieved for heat constipation (84.6%), qi constipation (77.8%) and cold constipation (87.5%) in the herbal group, and the improvements of heat constipation and qi constipation were better than corresponding results in the starch group (both P<0.05). The effective rate of the herbal group was 83.3% (25/30), and it was better than 43.3% (13/30) of the starch group. The two scores at follow-up had no statistical significances compared with those after treatment in the herbal group (both P>0.05), but superior to ones of the starch group (P<0.01,P<0.05); the effective rate of the herbal group was 86.6% (26/30), which was better than 50.0% (15/30) of the starch group (P<0.01).
Conclusions: Herb-partition moxibustion at navel achieves better short-term and long-term effects than starch-partition for constipation with excess syndrome.
Keywords: clinical observation; constipation; excess syndrome; herb-partition moxibustion at navel.