A recent study illustrated that in patients with diabetic gastroparesis, the herb-partitioned moxibustion at fanwei point mitigates the clinical symptoms and improves the gastric emptying rate. The rate is probably linked to the regulation of the levels of serum gastrin and plasma motilin.

A study was carried out to explore the therapeutic effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion at fanwei point in 134 diabetic gastroparesis individuals distinguished as spleen and stomach deficiency and retention of turbid dampness as well as its mechanism of clinical effect.

Participants were randomly assigned to either the observation group (n=67) or a control group (n=67). The herb-partitioned moxibustion approach at fanwei point was carried out, 40 min each time, once a day for five times a week in the observation arm. Itopride hydrochloride tablets were prescribed for oral administration, 50 mg each time, three times a day in the control arm.

Notably, six weeks of treatment was needed in the two groups. In both the groups, the gastroparesis cardinal symptom index (GCSI) scores, 4-hour gastric emptying rate, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom score, as well as the levels of plasma motilin and serum gastrin were observed before and after treatment. Furthermore, the clinical therapeutic effect was determined for both groups.

In both the groups, the score of every item of GCSI, TCM symptom scores, and the levels of plasma motilin and serum gastrin were all minimized after treatment. Compared with the control group, the values were lower in the observation group.

In both the groups, the 4-hour gastric emptying rates were increased after treatment in comparison with those before treatment. The rate was found to be substantially elevated in the observation group when compared to the control group. The total effective rate was greater in the observation group than the control group, as depicted in the following table:

Thus, the herb-partitioned moxibustion at fanwei point is an effective approach to manage patients having diabetic gastroparesis.