Research from China suggests that a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion can provide significant therapeutic benefits in patients with active Crohn’s disease (CD). Ninety-two patients were randomised into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group received herbal moxibustion combined with acupuncture, while the control group received placebo (non-herbal) moxibustion, combined with superficial acupuncture at non-acupoints. Patients received three treatment sessions per week for 12 weeks, and were followed up for 24 weeks. Crohn’s Disease Activity Index scores for both the treatment and control groups were significantly reduced after treatment compared with baseline. However, the degree of improvement in the treatment group was found to be significantly greater than that of the control group. In addition, the improvement in symptoms in the treatment group was sustained at follow-up, while that in the control group was not. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in quality-of-life ratings after treatment, but the improvement was significantly greater in the treatment group. Patients in the treatment group also showed significantly decreased C-reactive protein levels and improved intestinal histology scores at the end of treatment compared to the control group.
Randomized controlled trial: Moxibustion and acupuncture for the treatment of Crohn’s disease.