[Clinical observation on treatment of patients with kidney-yang deficiency type ankylosing spondylitis by using Bushen Tongdu external treatment].

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness in the spine, often making everyday movement difficult. For people whose symptoms align with a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern called "kidney-yang deficiency" — characterized by cold, aching lower back pain that worsens in cold weather, weak knees, and morning stiffness — researchers in China wanted to know whether a specialized external treatment rooted in TCM could offer real relief.

The study tested a combination approach called Bushen Tongdu, which translates roughly to "reinforcing kidney-yang and regulating the Governor Vessel." Participants received two types of treatment together: a form of moxibustion where burning moxa (dried herb) is applied along the full length of the spine and front torso for two hours per session, and acupoint catgut embedding, where small absorbable threads are placed at specific acupuncture points — including Dazhui (GV14), Shenshu (BL23), and Zusanli (ST36) — to provide continuous stimulation between weekly sessions. This was compared against a standard drug treatment (salazosulfapyridine) over eight weeks.

The results were encouraging. Patients receiving the Bushen Tongdu treatment showed significantly greater improvements in cold and painful lower back symptoms, weakness in the knees and lower back, and sensitivity to cold compared to the medication group. Disease activity scores (BASDAI) dropped more dramatically in the treatment group, and blood markers of inflammation — including IL-6, TNF-α, and MMP-3 — decreased significantly more than in the drug group. The overall effective rate was 90.6% for the treatment group versus 75.8% for medication, and no serious safety concerns were reported.

This research suggests that combining moxibustion with acupoint embedding may be a safe and effective option for AS patients with cold-pattern symptoms. If you are considering this approach, consult a licensed acupuncturist or TCM practitioner experienced in treating inflammatory spinal conditions.

This randomized controlled trial (n=72; observation group n=32 completers, control group n=33 completers) evaluated Bushen Tongdu external treatment — combining Ren Du Zhou-Tian moxibustion (ginger-juice-soaked nonwoven separated moxibustion along GV2–GV14 and CV3–CV22, 1h each) with weekly acupoint catgut embedding at GV14, BL23, BL25, SP10, and ST36 — against oral salazosulfapyridine (0.2g/day) over 8 weeks in kidney-yang deficiency type ankylosing spondylitis. Primary outcomes included TCM syndrome scoring, BASDAI, and serum inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-3). The observation group demonstrated statistically superior reductions in cold-pain, lumbar-knee weakness, cold sensitivity TCM subscores, total TCM score, BASDAI score, and all three inflammatory biomarkers compared to controls (all P<0.05). Total effective rate favored the treatment group (90.63% vs. 75.76%, P<0.05). No significant adverse events were reported. Clinically, this protocol offers a viable non-pharmacological intervention for yang-deficient AS presentations with measurable anti-inflammatory effects.