Traditional Chinese medicine: history, practices, and applications

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Moxibustion or Moxabustion is a form of traditional Oriental medicine where herbs are burned at or near acupuncture points to elicit improved balance and healing and remove or reduce blockages that may be present there as a result of fatigue and/or age. The acupuncture point Stomach 36 is frequently associated with moxibustion, in ancient and modern literature as well as modern clinical trials. This work will test the effects of direct moxibustion (burning of "moxa" on the head of an acupuncture needle) placed at Stomach 36 to derive restorative effects during fatigue associated with physical activity involving prolonged running or walking.

One particular acupuncture point frequently associated with this treatment is Stomach 36 (St. 36) as it has been linked in ancient literature as well as in modern clinical trials to a reduction of or elimination of fatigue through various sited mechanisms. In ancient literature the St. 36 moxibustion link is repeated as a treatment to avoid disease and improve longevity. (Yo*****o) in more modern clinical trials, acupuncture and/or moxibustion on this point has been studied for effectiveness for improving maximum oxygen uptake (Yo*****o) as well as to reduce hypertension through what is believed to be created by improved nitric oxide synthesis. (Kim, Pica, Duran & Duran) the location of St. 36 is as follows: "On the front of the leg, one hand width (four fingers) below the kneecap, on the outside, in the depression between the shinbone and the leg muscle. What can go wrong is that you may be locating it somewhat too low on the leg. The point is immediately one hand breadth below the kneecap, so if you'd use something thick, like a finger, you might get half a finger breadth to low. it's at the outside of the bone that's on the front of the lower leg, one finger breadth from the crest of that bone." (Yo*****o) This clinical trial will be an attempt to document courses of treatment using St. 36 and direct moxibustion after prolonged running, such as that which is present after training for cross country running. The hope is that marked improvement of symptoms of fatigue will be decreased in the study group as compared to two control groups one who will not receive treatment but will use standard methods of rest and continued training and a second who will receive St. 36 acupuncture without direct moxibustion. Moxibustion is actually thought of by Oriental Medicine practitioners as not a compliment to acupuncture but a stronger clinical treatment, associated with the use of warmth to restore circulation of the Qi along meridians.

Specific Aims:

To determine the validity of direct moxibustion in the treatment of fatigue caused by prolonged training in the form of long distance running in young healthy adults.

To determine the comparative effects of non-moxibustion acupuncture on St. 36 for treatment of fatigue from prolonged training in the form of long distance running in young healthy adults.

To determine the comparative effects of standard suggestions of rest and continued training for those who are not treated with either direct moxibustion or acupuncture at St. 36 in the same demographic.

Research Design:

Rationale-

The rationale of this study is to compare effectiveness of direct moxibustion to acupuncture alone or standard recommendations on recovery time and ability to perform during training and events related to long-distance running in healthy young adults.

Method-

The method of this work will be that subjects will volunteer to allow treatment in the study and have preliminary exams, just following the first period of training (performed by trained practitioner of moxibustion and acupuncture) and will then be placed randomly into each of the three comparative study groups. The practitioner will then interpret results based on treatment results exhibited by improved range of motion and reported decrease or maintenance of fatigue by study participants. All participants, regardless of group placement will have intake and result exams following second period of training or after first running event and results will be compared and collated anonymously and be available to coaches and participants prior to study end and publication.

Inclusion/Exclusion criteria-

Any individual on the team will be included or excluded based upon initial practitioner exam. If any individual reports previous catastrophic joint injury or disease, such as arthritis or other joint malformation, diabetes, heart disease or any other disease that would potentially put them at risk for exacerbation of symptoms, decreased standard circulation or potential injury they will be excluded from the study and counseled for support treatment of pre-existing conditions. All others will be included, on a voluntary basis.

Collection of Data-