Is Thunder-Fire moxibustion effective in the treatment of adenomyosis combined with infertility?

Adenomyosis is defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium.It can seriously endanger a woman’s quality of life,causing infertility,dysmenorrhea,and chronic pelvic pain.The definitive treatment for adenomyosis is hysterectomy.However,this option does not benefit patients who wish to preserve their fertility[1].Although medical treatments are effective in improving clinical symptoms,there are limited data to support medical effectiveness in improving thechances of pregnancy.

Thunder-Fire moxibustion, a type of special moxibustion therapy,has significant efficacy in the treatment of pain and Yinzheng(a symptom of Chinese medicine,with the clinical characteristics of chills,cold limbs,loose stools or diarrhea,etc.).Thunder-Fire moxibustion may originated in the Taoist magic arts before the Yuan Dynasty(1271 A.D.–1368 A.D.)and matured in the middle of the Ming Dynasty(1368 A.D.–1644 A.D.)(Taoism is a Chinese native religion that arose in the Donghan Dynasty of China;magic arts constitute an extremely important part of the Taoist and aim to remain healthy)[2].Today,Thunder-Fire moxibustion remains in use,and physicians have employed it to treat adenomyosis.The pathology of adenomyosis is considered cold stagnation and blood stasis.Its clinical characteristics sharing some similarity with those of Yinzheng of Chinese medicine.Thunder-Fire moxibustion warms and disperses cold evil,as well as activates blood circulation and relieves pain[3-7]. However, the underlying mechanism of Thunder-Fire moxibustion remains unknown and few articlestouch on the level of modern medical mechanism.Penetration and transmission of the heating effect,infrared rays,pharmacochemical and physical factors,and different channels and acupoints produced by the burning moxa stick containing Chinese herbs may be responsiblefor itsefficacy[8].

Here,a clinical investigation into 120 cases evaluated the clinical efficacy of Thunder-Fire moxibustion combined with ovulation monitoring in the treatment of adenomyosis combined with infertility.Moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV4)and Qihai(CV6) points with Thunder-Fire moxibustion abdominal array could increasethe pregnancy ratefor patientswith adenomyosis,as well as improve dysmenorrhea and related traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.To read more about Thunder-Fire moxibustion,see this article:Evaluating the clinical efficacy of Thunder-Fire moxibustion combined with ovulation monitoring in the treatment of adenomyosiscombined with infertility.

Link:

http://www.tmrjournals.com/tmr/EN/10.12032/TMR2018 13083

Xiong-Zhi Wu

Editor-in-Chief of TMR

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