Objective To observe the clinical effect of heat sensitive moxibustion(HSM)and its regularity of acupoint heat-sensitization in the treatment of allergic rhinitis(AR)patients.Methods Seventy patients with AR were randomly divided into HSM and manual acupuncture groups(n=35/group).For patients of the HSM group

acupoints Yintang(EX-HN 3)

bilateral Yingxiang(LI 20)

Shangxing(GV 23)

Tongtian(BL 7)

Feishu(BL 13)

Hegu(LI 4)

etc.were used

and for patients of the manual acupuncture group

bilateral LI 20 and LI 4

Bitong(EX-HN 8)and EX-HN 3 were needled and stimulated with uniform reinforcing-reducing needling method.The treatment was conducted once every other day

for 20 days

with 3 days' interval between two 10 days.The symptoms of sneezing

running nose

nasal obstruction

and nasal itching were scored as 1

2 and 3 points according to their severity.The signs of turbinate-nose cavity bottom/nasal septum correlation

morphological state(swelling or not)of inferior nasal concha and color of nasal mucosa

appearance(deviation or polyp)of the middle turbinate and nasal septum were scored as 1

2 and 3 points according to their severity.The total score equaled to symptom score plus nasal sign score.The distribution of heat sensitization acupoints for effectively improving AR were recorded.Results The total effective rate of82.86%(29/35)in the HSM group had no marked difference in comparison with that of 74.29%(26/35)in the manual acupuncture group(P>0.05).After the treatment

the total scores of symptoms and nasal signs of both HSM and manual acupuncture groups were significantly reduced in comparison with their own individual pre-treatment(P<0.01)

and those in the HSM group were significantly decrased than those in the manual acupuncture group(P<0.05).In 35 patients of the HSM group

among the detected 57 acupoints

the most frequently sensitive acupoints were LI 20

EX-HN 3

EX-HN 8

Shangyintang

BL 13

Shenque(CV 8)

GV 23

Fengchi(GB 20)

Die'e and Dazhui(GV 14)in sequence

mainly covering the Governor Vessel

Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-yangming(LI)

and Bladder Meridian of Foot-taiyang(BL)

and characterized by heat conduction

heat diffusion

diathermancy

non-thermal(mainly itching)sensation

thermal sensation mainly in the deep tissue and in the distant part rather than in the body surface and the local part.Conclusion HSM has a positive effect on improvement of AR

when applied

acupoints LI20

EX-HN 3

EX-HN 8

Shangyintang

BL 13

CV 8

GV 23

GB 20

Die'e and GV 14 are highly recommended.