Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a condition of isolated low platelet count with normal bone marrow, is an immune thrombocytopenia with unclear pathology. So far, no particularly effective therapy has been discovered. On the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory and the clinical manifestations of the disease, the author Yin Zhifang treated 74 patients with acupuncture only or with a combination of acupuncture and medication. Another 24 patients were treated with medication only, and they were considered as the control group.
Of the 98 patients, 29 were males and 69 were females. The age ranged from 19 to 58 years. The course of the disease varied from 3 months to 18 years. The 98 patients were divided into three groups at random, for example, acupuncture only group (36 cases), acupuncture and medication group ( 38 cases), and medication only group ( 24 cases). The 98 patients were diagnosed on the basis of their clinical symptoms and a laboratory examination. There were no obvious differences in sex, age, course of disease, and the patients’ condition among the three groups. One week before the treatment , patients were instructed to stop taking any medication.
It was found that the acupuncture plus medication group recorded better results than the other two groups, and there was a significant difference between the groups. The acupuncture only group recorded better results than the medication group. This suggests that acupuncture is more effective than Western medication in the treatment of the disease.
According to TCM theory, ITP is caused by an insufficiency of vital essence and blood in the Zang-fu organs, and can be categorized as a ‘Deficiency syndrome’. Dysfunctions of the spleen and the kidney are the cause of symptoms such as dizziness, lassitude, insomnia, soreness in the loins, bleeding and ecchymosis, and threadlike and weak pulse. As a consequence, the therapeutic principle should be to invigorate the kidney and activate the spleen, enhance Qi, and regulate blood. The points to be used during treatment are Dazhui—at the intersection of the Governor vessel and the three Yang meridians, as well as three other points that can increase the platelet count, namely, Zusanli—the He (Sea) point of the stomach meridian, Sanyinjiao —at the intersection of three foot Yin meridians, and Taixi—the Yuan (primary) point of the kidney meridian. The observation and study of the indices in this report suggest that acupuncture therapy is likely to promote the maturation of the myeloid megalocaryocyte, and restore the function of the hematopoietic system. When acupuncture therapy is combined with Western medication, the curative effect can be even more remarkable and the clinical symptoms are more effectively controlled.
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