Wheat Grain Moxibustion as an Adjuvant Therapy for Chronic Fatigue in Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Summary

This protocol aims to detail wheat grain moxibustion for chronic fatigue in Pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including methods, criteria, and assessment, to offer a new treatment option.

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) often coexists with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). Chronic fatigue is prevalent among patients with COPD-related PH (PH-COPD), significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Existing treatment measures for PH-COPD have limited efficacy in alleviating chronic fatigue. As a promising alternative therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), wheat grain moxibustion (a form of moxibustion therapy) has demonstrated unique advantages in adjuvant treatment for chronic fatigue associated with various diseases in recent years. This study aims to elaborate on the specific methods of treating PH-COPD-related chronic fatigue using wheat grain moxibustion and establish a standardized protocol.

This protocol meticulously outlines patient selection criteria, applicable equipment, acupuncture point selection principles, treatment course settings, postoperative care, and emergency handling measures. During the treatment, specific acupuncture points are gently stimulated with five small moxa cones placed on each point, once daily, for a duration of 2 weeks. To objectively reflect changes before and after treatment, efficacy assessment employs indicators such as the Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), EMPHASIS-10 scores, Partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO₂), and the Six-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD). Preliminary clinical data suggest that wheat grain moxibustion can effectively alleviate chronic fatigue in PH-COPD patients, and enhance their exercise tolerance and quality of life, with minimal adverse effects. This method is simple, cost-effective, and holds broad application potential. By developing a detailed protocol, we hope to provide a new therapeutic option for more patients suffering from PH-COPD-related chronic fatigue, while also fostering further research and development in this field.

Introduction

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)represents a progressive respiratory condition defined by airflow limitation and enduring respiratory symptoms¹. COPD now ranks as the third highest global cause of mortality, imposing a significant disease burden^1,2. Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) represents a severe comorbidity of COPD. It is marked by a sustained increase in pulmonary artery pressure, which may result in right ventricular failure and progressive exercise limitation^3,4. It is estimated that the prevalence of PH among CO....

Protocol

This protocol received approval from the Ethics Committee of Chengdu Xinjin District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Approval No. 202411). Subjects were fully informed and signed the informed consent form.

1. Assess patients

1. Inclusion criteria
   1. Confirm patients have a clinical history of PH-COPD according to the 2025 report and 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines^1,3.
   2. Check for chronic fatigue lasting or recurring for 6 months or more, with at least 4 out of 8 specified symptoms (no earlier than fatigue onset), also persisting or recur....

Results

This study enrolled 14 patients, with 7 in the experimental group and 7 in the control group. As shown in Table 1, the two groups exhibited no significant differences in baseline characteristics. The mean age of the total population was 74.36 ± 8.28 years, with 73.86 ± 10.25 years in the control group and 74.86 ± 6.54 years in the experimental group (t = -0.22, p = 0.831). FEV1/FVC also showed no significant difference, with values of 51.66 ± 7.04 in the total group, 51.74 ± 7.46 in the control group, an.......

Discussion

This exploratory study aimed to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the therapeutic effects and feasibility of wheat grain moxibustion for managing chronic fatigue symptoms in patients with PH-COPD. The results show that after 2 consecutive weeks of Wheat Grain Moxibustion treatment, the fatigue scores of the patients decreased significantly, and their physical activity ability and quality of life were both improved. These results suggest that Wheat Grain Moxibustion can not only effectively relieve the fatigue symptoms .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
75% medical alcohol	Infection Control Guard (Shandong) Medical Technology Co., Ltd.	10123381277989
Joss sticks	Xiamen Sanye Bodhi Industry and Trade Co., Ltd.	100093487599
Medical cotton swabs	Hebei Kangji Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.	10118283560368
Moxa wool	Nanyang Xingwantang Moxa Products Co., Ltd.	100054545934
Petrolatum	Shandong Lierkang Medical Technology Co., Ltd.	100107439417
R 4.3.0 software			Statistical analysis