Clinical observation of the Back-Shu and Front-Mu point combination method in the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical efficacy of the Back-Shu and Front-Mu point combination method in diabetic gastroparesis, to observe its improvement of the gastric emptying rate, and to explore an ideal and effective method for treating diabetic gastroparesis. METHODS: Sixty patients with symptomatic DGP were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group (30 cases) was treated with the Back-Shu and Front-Mu point combination method; the control group (30 cases) was treated with oral mosapride. Changes in clinical symptoms, changes in the gastric emptying rate and adverse reactions were observed in the 60 patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: The effective rate for the stuffiness (pi) syndrome of diabetic gastroparesis was 93.3% in the treatment group and 73.3% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference between groups (P<0.05); the gastric emptying rate increased significantly in both groups after treatment (P<0.05), with no statistically significant difference between groups (P>0.05); the difference in side effects between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 1. Both the Back-Shu and Front-Mu point combination method and oral mosapride can markedly accelerate gastric emptying and relieve upper gastrointestinal symptoms in DGP patients. 2. The Back-Shu and Front-Mu point combination method is more effective than oral mosapride for the symptoms of the stuffiness syndrome, especially in relieving epigastric fullness, pain, belching and abnormal bowel movements in DGP patients. 3. Treating DGP with the Back-Shu and Front-Mu point combination method has no toxic side effects and is superior to oral mosapride.