Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, June 2009, Vol 29, No 97 Acupuncture Treatment for 35 Cases of Urticaria TAO Sha 陶莎 Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Guanganmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China In TCM it is held that urticaria is mostly due to weak constitution with deficiency of qi and blood, or prolonged illness that causes consumption of qi and blood Such constitution can result in formation of wind due to blood deficiency, and internal-external lack of resistance due to qi-deficiency, which gives chances to pathogenic wind to invade the body, hence the occurrence of urticaria Therefore, this disease is a complicated one with deficiency in the origin and excessiveness of pathogen The Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department of Guanganmen Hospital has adopted acupuncture treatment for this disease through treating both the incidental and fundamental simultaneously, and obtained quite good clinical therapeutic effects as is summarized in the following CLINICAL DATA 35 outpatients with urticaria were treated in the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department of Guanganmen Hospital from January 2007 to March 2008, during which cases dropped the treatment In fact, 31 cases were enrolled in the series, among whom were males and 22 were females, ranging in age from to 82 years, and ranging in the duration of the illness from month to 30 years METHODS Acupuncture was adopted The first group of points: Dazhui (GV 14), Fengmen (BL 12), Fengshi (GB 31), Quchi (LI 11), Fengchi (GB 20); Xuehai (SP 10), Geshu (BL 17), Sanyinjiao (SP 6); Shenmen (HT 7), Shenting (GV 24), Baihui (GV 20), and Anmian (Extra) The second group of points: Huangshu (KI 16), Shuifen (CV 9), and Qihai (CV 6) The third group of points: Feishu (BL 13), Ganshu (BL 18), Geshu (BL 17), Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), and Shenshu (BL 23) The points in the first group were used each time, and the points in the second and third group were used alternately For patients with wind-heat or blood stasis, bloodletting pricking and cupping at Dazhui (GV 14) and Geshu (BL 17) could be used in combination For patients with symptoms of the stomach and intestines, Zhongwan (CV 12) and Zusanli (ST 36) were added; and for patients with stagnation of the liver-qi, Qimen (LR 14) and Ligou (LR 5) were added The operation: Dazhui (GV 14), lateral to the spine, was punctured with a cun filiform needle obliquely downward about 1.5 cun; Fengshi (GB 31) was punctured with a cun filiform needle obliquely downward 1.5 cun Fengmen (BL 12) and the Back-shu points were punctured with 1.5 cun filiform needles horizontally 0.5 cun Fengchi (GB 20) and Anmian (Extra) were punctured with 1.5 cun filiform needles for cun deep with the needle tip directed to the opposite eye Shenmen (HT 7), Shenting (GV 24), and Baihui (GV 20) were punctured with cun filiform needles perpen- dicularly for 0.5 cun deep For the rest points, they were punctured with cun filiform needles perpen- dicularly for cun deep Each time the needles were retained for 25 min, and the treatment was given once every other day Uniform reinforcing-reducing method was used Criteria for diagnosis and therapeutic effects The diagnostic criteria: The diagnostic criteria were made in reference to the diagnostic bases for urticaria set in Criteria for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effects of Diseases and Syndromes in TCM (issued in 1994 by The State Administration of TCM) and 98 Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, June 2009, Vol 29, No Dermatovenerology (the 6th edition): 1, 1) sudden occurrence, and skin damage with clear-bordered edematous patches of various sizes and shapes; 2) intermittent occurrence of skin rash in unfixed places, causing sharp itching sensation and leaving no marks after its disappearance; 3) some patients may be accompanied with abdominal pain, diarrhea, or fever and joint pain; and some severe cases can have difficulty in breathing, even asphyxia; 4) some patients may have positive dermatograph test result The criteria for therapeutic effects: The evaluation were done in reference to the 2006 Diagnostic Guidance for Urticaria, summed up by the International Symposium on Urticaria,3 which, according to the clinical symptoms and signs, gave evaluation to the urticaria patients from no to severe (Table 1) Table Evaluation on the observation indexes of therapeutic effects Item no mild moderate Itching no not affecting normal life and affecting normal life and work work to a certain degree 20 wheals /24h 21–50 wheals /24h Wheal no The criteria for therapeutic effects It were adopted in referring to the criteria for therapeutic effects on urticaria set in Criteria for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effects of Diseases and Syndromes in TCM issued by the State Administration of TCM in 1994.1 Cured: Wheals and clinical signs disappeared, with no recurrences Improved: Wheals disappeared by more than 30%, or the interval between recurrences prolonged, and itching and other symptoms alleviated Failed: Wheals and itching were not obviously relieved, or decreased by less than 30% RESULTS The 31 cases of urticaria were all up to the diagnostic criteria for urticaria set in Criteria for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effects of Diseases and Syndromes in severe obviously affecting life and (or) sleep 50 wheals /24h or large area fusion TCM, and obtained quite good therapeutic effects Based on the above-mentioned criteria, the 31 cases all received acupuncture treatment for varying treating time from half a month to months Comparisons were made between the first visit and the last visit The results were as follows Cured: cases (covering 25.8%); improved: 17 cases (covering 54.84%); and failed: cases (covering 19.35%) The total effective rate (cured rate + improved rate) reached 81% The non-parametric Wilcoxon rank test was adopted for comparison between evaluation scores on the symptoms before and after treatment Software SAS was used for statistical data The evaluation scores after treatment were obviously lower than the scores before treatment (P