[Clinical research on warm acupuncture therapy for pain in postmenopausal osteoporosis].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy on pain in postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with the warm acupuncture therapy and discuss its effect mechanism.

Methods: Ninety cases of postmenopausal osteoporosis were randomized into a warm acupuncture group, an electroacupuncture group and a medication group, 30 cases in each group. In the warm acupuncture group and the electroacupuncture group, Dazhu (BL 11), Shenshu (BL 23) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) were selected bilaterally and stimulated with the warm acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapies respectively, once a day for 30 days totally.

[Effect of acupoint heat-sensitive moxibustion intervention on serum osteopontin and matrix metalloproteinase-3 in patients with acute knee pain].

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of acupoint heat-sensitive moxibustion for acut knee arthralgia and to analyze its effect on serum osteopontin (OPN) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) contents in patients with knee osteoarthritis so as to study its mechanism underlying improving arthralgia.

Methods: One hundred and forty-four patients with acute knee knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to acupoint heat-sensitive moxibustion (moxibustion), electroacupuncture (EA) and medication groups. Patients of the moxibustion group were treated by suspended moxibustion over bilateral Weizhong (BL 40) for 40 min each point, once daily for 15 days.