Clinical study of electroacupuncture combined with Oral Tripterygium wilfordii tablets in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE: To observe the alleviating effects of electroacupuncture（EA） combined with orally taking Tripterygium wilfordii Tablets on morning stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis（RA）,and evaluate its safety. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was employed.A total of 60 patients in line with criteria were averagely randomized into a trial group and a control group.Patients in the trial group were treated with EA combined with orally taking Tripterygium wilfordii Tablets,while patients in the control group only orally took Tripterygium wilfordii Tablets.The treatment course was 3 months for both groups. RESULTS: The trial group was superior to the control group in decreasing adverse reaction rate and the duration of morning stiffness,but there was no significant difference in inefficiency between the two groups. CONCLUSION: EA combined with orally taking Tripterygium wilfordii Tablets can alleviate the symptoms of RA,and its adverse reaction rate is lower than that caused by orally taking Tripterygium wilfordii Tablets alone