Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture of Ashi points in combination with moxibustion of heat-sensitive points for neck-back myofascial pain syndrome

so as to find a better combined therapy.Methods A total of 62 eligible patients were randomly divided into treatment group(acupuncture of Ashi-points plus moxibustion of heat-sensitive points

n=32) and control group(acupuncture of Ashi-points plus TDP irradiation

n=30) by using single-blind method.Ashi-points were the tenderpoints or subcutaneous induration spots determined by digital pressure in the focus region

and the heat-sensitive points were the acupoints around the subcutaneous induration spots in the neck-back regions determined by patients' feeling(heat from the ignited moxa transmitting toward the deep muscle layer

extending toward the surrounding region of the Ashi-points

etc.and the distal part of the body) during moxibustion.Ashi-points were punctured with filiform needles and stimulated with reducing method by lifting

thrusting and twirling the acupuncture needle repeatedly till "Deqi"

followed by retaining the needle for 30 min.Moxibustion was given to the patients for 10-90 min(when the patient began to feel heat penetrating into the deeper muscle layer to the termination of the heat transmission).TDP irradiation was given to the Ashi-points for 30 min in every session of treatment.The treatment was conducted once daily

5 times a week

two weeks altogether.McGill pain questionnaire containing pain rating index(PRI)

visual analogue scale(VAS) and present pain intensity(PPI) and "the criteria for assessing the therapeutic effect of back-myofascitis" recorded in "Standards for Diagnosis and Efficacy Evaluation of Clinical Conditions in Chinese Medicine"(published in 1994 in China) were used to evaluate the analgesic effect.Results Before the treatment

no significant differences were found between the treatment and control groups in PRI

VAS and PPI.After the treatment

PRI

VAS and PPI were all signi-ficantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group(P<0.01).Of the 32 and 30 myofascitis patients in the treatment and control groups

11(34.4%) and 3(10.0%) were cured

20(62.5%) and 25(83.3%) experienced improvement in their symptoms

1(3.1%) and 2(6.7%) had no apparent changes.The cure rate of the treatment group was significant bigger than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture combined with moxibustion of Ashi-points can effectively relieve pain reaction in neck-back myofascial pain syndrome patients

which is significantly superior to that of acupuncture plus TDP irradiation therapy.