Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of joint application of electroacupuncture(EA)

acupoint-injection and fire-needle in the treatment of menopausal syndrome(MS)women.Methods One hundred MS patients were randomized into control group and combined treatment group(n=50 patients in each).The combined treatment group was treated by joint application of EA

acupoint-injection and fire-needle stimulation

and the control group treated by EA stimulation alone.EA was applied to Shenshu(BL 23)

Xinshu(BL15)

Taixi(KI 3)

Sanyinjiao(SP 6)

Laogong(PC 8)

Pishu(BL 20)

etc.

for 30 min

once daily for 10 days.Point-injection of red ginseng-ophiopogon root injection(0.5 mL)or red-hot needle stimulation was applied to bilateral BL15

BL 20

SP 6 and BL 23 once daily for 10 days and once every other day for 5 times

respectively.The modified Kupperman index scale was used to evaluate symptoms(hot flashes and night sweats:4 points;paresthesia

insomnia

dyspareunia

irritability and problems of urinary system:2 point each;depression

dizziness

fatigue

joint pain or muscular pain

headache

palpitation

skin formication:1 point each)of the perimenopausal syndrome

and 3 months' follow-up survey was conducted after the treatment.Each symptom score was calculated as the product of the symptom severity score(0

no;1

mild;2

moderate;3

severe)multiplied by the points of symptom index.The total Kupperman score was the sum of the scores of all the items.The therapeutic effect was also evaluated according to the "Guiding Principles for Clinical Trials of New Drugs of Chinese Materia Medica"(2002).Results The Kupperman scores were significantly decreased following the 10 days' treatment and 3 months thereafter in both control and combined treatment groups in comparison with their individual pre-treatment(P<0.05)

and were obviously lower in the combined treatment group than in the control group after treatment(P<0.05).Of the both 50 patients in the control and combined treatment groups

22(44%)and 35(70%)experienced a remarkably improvement

18(36%)and12(24%)were effective

and 10(20%)and 3(6%)ineffective

with the total effective rates being 80% and 94%

respectively.The therapeutic effect of the combined treatment group was notably superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion The joint application of electroacupuncture(EA)

acupoint-injection and fire needle is significantly superior to that of simple EA in improving the symptoms of patients with menopausal syndrome.