Effects of moxibustion on the recovery of post-stroke urinary symptoms

This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of moxibustion therapy for patients with post-stroke urinary symptoms using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Stroke patients with urinary symptoms were enrolled and assigned into the moxibustion group (MO group) and the control group by stratified randomization. The MO group received moxibustion treatment on Zhong-Ji (CV-3), Guan-Yuan (CV-4) and Qi-Hai (CV-6) for 10 days, and the control group did not receive it. The effectiveness of urinary symptoms and activities of daily living were measured by IPSS and Barthel Index (BI), respectively. These scales were examined by an independent blinded neurologist before treatment, and 10 days after therapy. Thirty nine subjects (20 in the MO group and 19 in the control group) were included in the final analysis. The MO group showed more improvement on urinary symptoms than the control group. In conclusion, we suggest that moxibustion on Zhong-Ji (CV-3), Guan-Yuan (CV-4) and Qi-Hai (CV-6) is effective to post-stroke urinary symptoms.