[Auriculo-electropuncture in rheumatoid arthritis (a double-blind study)]

A study of the efficacy of auriculo-electropuncture (AEP) by a double blind method was conducted in 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Points on the auricle were looked for by means of an device of individual use. After that during true AEP (the study group of 10 patients) the device was switched on to the stimulation mode, during false AEP (the control group of 6 patients) it was switched off. Each patient was given 10 procedures except one patient of the study group in whom treatment had to be discontinued after the 3rd procedure because of the development of phlebitis of the left crural veins. Subjective assessment showed improvement in all the patients of the study group (considerable improvement in 2 patients), in the control group improvement was noted in one patient only, no effect--in 3 patients, deterioration--in 2 patients; objective assessment showed improvement in 6 (considerable improvement in one patient) and in one patient, no effect--in 2 and 2, deterioration in one and 3, respectively. In the study group a positive time course of all 8 indices characterizing a degree of pain and inflammatory activity was noted (it was statistically significant for 7 of them), in the control group a positive time course of 3 indices was noted, 5 indices grew worse. A statistically significant decrease in the initially elevated level of blood alpha (2)-globulin was noted against a background of true AEP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)