The Effect of Moxibustion on the Meridian

The Effect of Moxibustion on the Meridian: A Prospective, Crossover Designed, Observational Study

The purpose of this study is to combine the Chinese medicine and physics, using acupuncture to conduct electrical measurement, and to understand the effects of moxibustion on meridian.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Acupuncture; Moxibustion
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: acupuncture and moxibustion

Detailed Description

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine, which use the burned moxa to generate warmth on the human's local skin and then exerts a therapeutic effect. Research found that moxibustion has effect on analgesic and anti-inflammation, which can be applied on myofascial pain, insomnia, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cancer related fatigue, irritable bowel disease etc.. Although research reveal that moxibustion can treat these diseases probably by effect on analgesic and anti-inflammation, the mechanism of moxibustion is still not clear.

In modern study, the meridian has electric characteristic and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture may be related to the electricity resulting by acupuncture manipulation. However, there is no study to investigate the electric effect of moxibustion on the meridian. In our study, the investigators applied the semiconductor analyzer Agilent B1500A to investigate the electric characteristic of meridians and visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after moxibustion, which may provide another vision on moxibustion in the future.

The investigators intend to recruit 30 healthy participants with age more than 20 years old to participate this study. The participants receive acupuncture and then measure the VAS and electric characteristic by the semiconductor analyzer Agilent B1500A immediately(baseline data). The investigators add the burned moxa on the acupuncture as a method for moxibustion. After the moxa burned out, the investigators measure the VAS and electric characteristic immediately again(post moxibustion data). The investigators will use paired t test and repeated measure two ways ANOVA to compare the VAS and electricity of baseline data and post moxibustion data in each participant.

The purpose of this study is to combine the Chinese medicine and physics, using acupuncture to conduct electrical measurement, and to understand the effects of moxibustion on meridian.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 30

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Chien Hung Lin, Dr.; Phone Number: 2335 07-7317123; Email: b9505027@cgmh.org.tw

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 833
    • Recruiting
    • Sun Yat-sen University
    • Contact: Chien-Hung Lin, Dr.; Phone Number: 2335 +886-7-7317123; Email: b9505027@cgmh.org.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be recruited from those considered healthy and at least 20 years old who agreed to the informed consent. The exclusion criteria for this study were: those under 20 years old, pregnant or breast-feeding women, those with an empty stomach before the study, a tendency toward bleeding with thrombocytopenia or platelets < 20000 or a user of an anti-platelet drug.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• at least 20 years old
• agree to the informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• under 20 years old
• pregnant or breast-feeding women
• those with an empty stomach before the study
• a tendency toward bleeding with thrombocytopenia or history of platelets < 20000 or a user of an anti-platelet drug.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Crossover
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
acupuncture and moxibustion group; The investigators intend to recruit 30 participants who receive acupuncture and then measure the VAS and electric characteristic by the semiconductor analyzer Agilent B1500A first. The investigators add the burned moxa on the acupuncture as a method for moxibustion, and then measure the VAS and electric characteristic again.	Procedure: acupuncture and moxibustion; Participants receive acupuncture and then measure the VAS and electric characteristic by the semiconductor analyzer Agilent B1500A first. The investigators add the burned moxa on the acupuncture as a method for moxibustion, and then measure the VAS and electric characteristic again.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change of visual analogue scale (VAS), score from 0 to 10, the lower score means less pain while the higher score means more pain.	The investigators measure visual analogue score immediately after intervention of acupuncture (baseline data) and moxibustion (post moxibustion data) respectively. Measured time baseline data: immediately after acupuncture post moxibustion data: immediately after moxa burned out (10 minutes)	through study completion, an average of 90 minutes
The change of electric current	Agilent B1500A is a device that can measure the electric current after acupuncture and moxibustion. The investigators measure the electric current after intervention of acupuncture (baseline data) and moxibustion (post moxibustion data) respectively. Measured time: baseline data: immediately after acupuncture post moxibustion data: immediately after moxa burned out (10 minutes)	through study completion, an average of 90 minutes
The change of voltage	Agilent B1500A is a device that can measure the voltage after acupuncture and moxibustion. The investigators measure the voltage after intervention of acupuncture (baseline data) and moxibustion (post moxibustion data) respectively. Measured time: baseline data: immediately after acupuncture post moxibustion data: immediately after moxa burned out (10 minutes)	through study completion, an average of 90 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
• Investigators: Study Director: Yu-Chiang Hung, Professor, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• He XR, Wang Q, Li PP. Acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2013;14(5):3067-74. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.5.3067.
• Lim MY, Huang J, Zhao B. Standardisation of moxibustion: challenges and future development. Acupunct Med. 2015 Apr;33(2):142-7. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2014-010688. Epub 2014 Dec 15.
• Hung YC, Chen WC, Chang TC, Zheng HX, Liu YW, Tan YF, Lin SK, Lu YH, Hu WL, Tsai TM. Meridian study on the response current affected by electrical pulse and acupuncture. Nanoscale Res Lett. 2020 Jul 10;15(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s11671-020-03373-2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 29, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): August 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 9, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 25, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2022
• Last Verified: January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 202101924A3

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No