Clinical trialEfficacy and safety of different doses of moxibustion for irritable bowel syndrome: A randomised controlled pilot trial
Introduction
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterised by abdominal pain, changes in bowel habit, distention, and abnormal stools. Although the exact mechanisms of IBS GI symptoms have not yet been elucidated, visceral hypersensitivity and GI motility disorders are the main pathological causes [2], [3], [4], [5], [6].
According to the Rome III criteria, patients diagnosed with IBS repeatedly experience abdominal pain or discomfort (an uncomfortable sensation not described as pain) at least 3 times per month over the 3 months prior to the diagnosis. Patients have either a) stool with fluffy pieces and ragged edges or that is mushy, watery, or entirely liquid (Bristol Stool Chart Scale 6–7) ≥25% or b) stool with separate hard lumps similar to nuts that are hard to pass or sausage-shaped but lumpy (Bristol Stool Chart Scale 1–2) ≥25%.
Epidemiological surveys have shown that the worldwide occurrence of IBS is approximately 5%–15% [6]. IBS leads to significant mental stress and can be a huge financial burden for patients. However, there are currently insufficient treatment options for patients with IBS [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. Therefore, an effective, rational management strategy for IBS is needed.
In clinical practice, moxibustion therapy is widely administered for IBS, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. However, to our knowledge, there are very few well-designed studies that show moxibustion is effective for IBS. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of moxibustion for IBS.
Section snippets
Study design and period
This study was a subject-, assessor- and analyst-blinded, randomised, controlled clinical trial with two parallel groups. The trial was conducted at a single clinical centre (Semyung Korean Medical Hospital) from 30 June 2016 to 31 December 2016. The protocol of this study was published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine (Volume 9, January 2017, Pages 126–130) [1].
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) IBS according to Rome III; (2) age 18–30 years; (3) voluntary agreement to
Baseline characteristics
This study commenced on May 1, 2016 and ended on August 30, 2016. A total of 27 patients were randomly assigned to either the 3CMG or 1CMG groups by R software. Three patients were excluded during the screening process. Finally, 24 patients (12 in the 3CMG and 12 in the 1CMG) completed the trial according to the test protocol(Fig. 1). The mean age of patients was 22.83 years with a standard deviation of 1.90, and there were 12 males and 12 females(Table 1). There was no statistical difference
Discussion
In this study, both 3-cone and 1-cone moxibustion were effective in relieving the symptoms of IBS, as seen by the significant reduction IBSSS-K scores. The purpose of this study is to compare the moxibustion effects of irritable bowel syndrome to find the right amount of moxibustion therapeutic effects. This is because so far, no studies have been conducted on optimal dose of moxibustion for irritable bowel syndrome. However, there were no significant differences in BSSS scores, IBSSS-K scores,
Conclusion
Different doses of moxibustion (3-cone and 1-cone moxibustion) showed similar efficacy for the treatment of IBS. IBSSS-K scores were significantly lower after treatment in both groups. The results of this study suggest that moxibustion therapy may improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. To confirm our findings, it is necessary to carry out large-scale randomised clinical trials with more subjects and various intervention groups testing different moxibustion doses. This will enable
Funding
This work was supported by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine [grant number C 16011].
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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