METHODS: Sixty female patients of POP with low muscle mass were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 5 cases dropped out) and a control group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The patients in the control group were treated with oral administration of Caltrate D (1.5 g calcium carbonate + 125 IU vitamin D3), one tablet per day for 12 weeks. In addition to the control treatment, the patients in the observation group were treated with thunder-fire moxibustion at Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), bilateral Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23), and Dachangshu (BL 25), 30 min per acupoint, once every other day, three times a week, for 12 weeks. Balance function indexes (95% confidence ellipse area of the center of pressure [COP], total displacement, average speed), lumbar pain visual analogue scale (VAS), serum muscle metabolism factors (myostatin [MSTN], peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α [PGC-1α]) and bone metabolism factors (aminoterminal propeptide typeⅠ procollagen [PINP], C-terminal telopeptide of typeⅠcollagen [CTX-Ⅰ]) were compared before and after treatment in both groups.
RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the 95% confidence ellipse area of COP, total displacement, and average speed in the observation group were decreased after treatment (P<0.01), and the above indexes in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the VAS scores in both groups were decreased after treatment (P<0.01), the score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). Compared before treatment, the serum levels of MSTN, PINP and CTX-Ⅰ in the observation group were reduced after treatment (P<0.01), while the serum level of PGC-1α was increased (P<0.01). The control group showed a decrease in serum level of MSTN (P<0.05). The observation group had lower serum levels of MSTN and PINP (P<0.05) and higher serum level of PGC-1α (P<0.01) compared to the control group.
CONCLUSIONS: The thunder-fire moxibustion can effectively relieve lumbar pain, improve balance function, and regulate musculoskeletal metabolism in female patients of POP with low muscle mass.
目的:观察雷火灸对原发性骨质疏松症(POP)伴低肌肉质量女性患者平衡功能和肌骨代谢水平的影响。方法:将60例POP伴低肌肉质量女性患者随机分为观察组(30例,脱落5例)和对照组(30例,脱落2例)。对照组予钙尔奇D(1.5 g碳酸钙+125 IU维生素D3)口服,每次1片,每天1次,共治疗12周;观察组在对照组基础上予雷火灸治疗,穴取命门、腰阳关及双侧肝俞、肾俞、大肠俞,每穴艾灸30 min,隔日1次,每周3次,共治疗12周。比较两组患者治疗前后平衡功能指标[足底压力中心(COP)95%置信椭圆面积、总位移、平均速度]及腰部疼痛视觉模拟量表(VAS)评分,检测两组患者治疗前后血清肌肉代谢因子[肌肉生长抑制素(MSTN)、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ辅激活因子1α(PGC-1α)]和骨代谢因子[Ⅰ型胶原N端前肽(PINP)、Ⅰ型胶原C末端交联肽(CTX-Ⅰ)]水平。结果:治疗后,观察组患者COP 95%置信椭圆面积、总位移、平均速度均较治疗前降低(P<0.01),且观察组低于对照组(P<0.05);两组患者腰部VAS评分均较治疗前降低(P<0.01),且观察组低于对照组(P<0.01)。治疗后,观察组患者血清MSTN、PINP、CTX-Ⅰ水平较治疗前降低(P<0.01),血清PGC-1α水平较治疗前升高(P<0.01),对照组患者血清MSTN水平降低(P<0.05);观察组患者血清MSTN、PINP水平低于对照组(P<0.05),血清PGC-1α水平高于对照组(P<0.01)。结论:雷火灸可有效缓解POP伴低肌肉质量女性患者腰部疼痛,改善平衡功能,并调节肌骨代谢水平。.