Warming acupuncture-moxibustion combined with Bushen Qianggu Recipe effectively improves bone metabolism in osteoporosis patients.

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) increases the risk of fractures in older adults, with no effective treatment options at present.

Objectives: To analyze the effects of warming acupuncture-moxibustion (WAM) combined with Bushen Qianggu Recipe on bone metabolism, bone mineral density (BMD), and pain intensity in OP patients.

Methods: This retrospective study involved 103 patients with OP who were admitted to Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between July 2021 and December 2023. The control group consisted of 47 cases given WAM and the research group consisted of 56 cases receiving WAM + Bushen Qianggu Recipe (Rehmanniae Radix 15 g, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata 15 g, Poria cocos 10 g, yam 10 g, rhizoma alismatis 10 g, raspberry 10 g, medlar 10 g, Schisandra chinensis 10 g, Semen Cuscutae 10 g, Epimedium 10 g, Polygonatum sibiricum Red. 10 g, Drynaria 10 g, and Eucommia ulmoides 10 g). Bone metabolism markers (procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP)), BMD (lumbar vertebrae at L_2-4, femoral neck, and distal 1/3 of the radius), pain intensity (visual analog score (VAS)), dysfunction (Oswestry Dysfunction Index), quality of life (Short-Form 36 Item Health Survey (SF-36)), and overall treatment efficacy were analyzed comparatively.

Results: Compared with the baseline (before treatment) and post-treatment levels in the control group, the research group showed a reduction in PINP and B-ALP, an increase in BMD at the lumbar vertebrae L_2-4, femoral neck, and distal 1/3 of the radius, and a decrease in VAS and Oswestry Disability Index scores. Additionally, the research group performed better across various dimensions of the SF-36 scale and had a higher overall effective rate.

Conclusions: WAM combined with Bushen Qianggu Recipe is effective in alleviating pain intensity and improving bone metabolism, BMD, and quality of life in OP patients; therefore it is deserving of clinical promotion.