The Efficacy of Warm Needle Moxibustion-Assisted Tongxinluo capsules in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and its effect on patients' nerve function

Abstract

Background: To analyze the efficacy of warm needle moxibustion-assisted Tongxinluo capsule in treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and its effect on patients' nerve function. Methods: 132 DPN patients were randomly divided into a control group (n=66) and an observation group (n=66). Both groups were given conventional Western medicine treatment. The control group was given macaroni capsules on this basis, and patients in the observation group were treated with warm needle moxibustion on the basis of the control group. The patients in both groups were treated for 3 courses with 5 days as a course of treatment. Clinical symptoms, nerve function, nerve conduction velocity and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: After treatment, the scoring levels of the four clinical symptoms including numbness, pain, burning sensation and paresthesia and myelin basic protein (MBP) levels in both groups were markedly lower (P<0.05), and those of the observation group were distinctly lower (P<0.05). After treatment, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels as well as the motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) of the left and right tibia nerves were obviously higher (P<0.05), and those of the observation group were significantly higher (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the overall incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Warm needle moxibustion-assisted Tongxinluo capsule can effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms of DPN patients, improve their nerve function, and increase the speed of nerve conduction.