Equinox Acupoint Sticking Therapy For Kidney Hanning Ankylosing Spondylitis Clinical Studies

Purpose:To observe the clinical efficacy on ankylosing spondylitis(AS)treated with point-application therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine(CTM)at the Spr- ing Equinox or Autumnal Equinox.Methods:70cases AS patients who have complied with the diagnostic criteria were randomly divided into the control group and the treatment group, 35 cases in each group. Western medicine was applied with sulfasalazine tablet in both groups, and point-application therapy of CTM at the Spring Equinox or Autumnal Equinox was supplemented in treatment group. After one year's continuous treat- ment, compare the two groups with the following main therapeutic index score changes: the ankylosing spondylitis patient global score (BAS-G), ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI), ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), time of morning stiffness, and compare the two groups with signs of changes of occipital to wall distance, the finger to floor distance, the Schober's test, and the chest expansion. Then observe the adverse reactions of the two groups.Results:1. The clinical efficacy indexes of these two groups such as BASDAI,BASFI,BAS-G and time of morning stiffness have been improved significantly after treatment(P﹤0.01), and there were significant differences between the two groups(P﹤0.01或P﹤0.05).2. Clinical indicators of changes in signs such as wall distance and Schober's test had no significant improvement compared with ones of pretreatment in control group(P﹥0.05), but there were different outcomes in the others such as finger to floor distance and chest expansion(P﹤0.01). All the changes in signs had significant improvements compared with ones of pretreatment in the treatment group (P﹤0.0l). But there were significant differences in all changes in signs(P﹤0.05)except for the chang of wall distance between the two groups(P﹥0.05). 3. After treatment, the ESR,CRP levels of two groups were significantly decreased than before (P﹤0.0l). There was a significant decline difference in ESR level (P﹤0.05), but no significant difference in CRP level(P﹥0.05).4. In treatment group, clinical remission 8 cases, apparent remission 13 cases, effective 10 cases, no effect 3 cases, and the total effectiveness 91.18%; in the control group, clinical remission 3 cases, apparent remission 9 cases, effective 15 cases, no effect 5 cases, the total effectiveness 84.38% , which indicating significant better treatment in comparison(P﹤0.05).5. During the treatment, 2 patients had liver and kidney dysfunction and 1 patient had nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue and other symptoms in the control group. In the treatment group, 2 patients had a point of local redness or local itching which was disappeared 2 days later after removing the plaster, and 1 patient had abnormal liver function. After the treatment, 4 patients fell off and 66 patients'clinical observation were totally finished.Conclusion: The patient's symptoms, signs, laboratory parameters have been significantly improved after adopting point-application therapy of CTM which played a role in the treatment, and combining with oral administration of sulfasalazine tablet during the treatment; we have found that it is better than the simple application of the clinical efficacy of sulfasalazine treatment, which is worth of further promotion and validating.