Clinical Study on Modified Gancao Fuzi Decoction Combined with Bird-Pecking Moxi⁃ bustion in the Treatment of Gouty Arthritis of Cold-Damp Blockage Type
Abstract: Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of modified Gancao Fuzi Decoction combined with birdpecking moxibustion in the treatment of gouty arthritis of cold-damp blockage type. Methods: A total of 68 patients with gouty arthritis diagnosed and treated at Longyan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1,2023 to January 31,2025 were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group using the random number table method, with 34 cases in each group. The control group received Etoricoxib Tablets; while the treatment group received modified Gancao Fuzi Decoction and bird-pecking moxibustion in addition to the treatment given to the control group. The treatment duration was one week for both groups. The clinical efficacy and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups, as well as the changes in traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores for pain, and laboratory serum markers [blood uric acid (BUA), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α)] before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate was 94.12% (32/34) in the treatment group and 73.53% (25/34) in the control group, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). After treatment,traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment,and the scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). On day one and day seven of treatment,VAS scores decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment, and the treatment group had lower VAS scores than the control group at the same time points (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of BUA, ESR, CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the levels of BUA, ESR, CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). During treatment,no treatment-related adverse reactions occurred in the treatment group;one case of mild gastrointestinal adverse reaction was reported in the control group. Conclusion: Modified Gancao Fuzi Decoction combined with bird-pecking moxibustion for gouty arthritis of cold-damp blockage type shows better comprehensive efficacy than extoricoxib alone, effectively improving clinical symptoms such as joint swelling and pain,reducing BUA levels and inflammatory factor levels,and has a good safety profile.