Chronological change of the quantity of heat stimulation and temperature of pre and post self-administered smokeless moxibustion for pregnant women

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H06985
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: Saitama Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Higashihara Akiko 埼玉県立大学, 保健医療福祉学部, 助教 (10803116)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 灸 / 赤外線サーモグラフィー / 血流量計 / 皮膚温 / 血流量 / 生体機能利用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The participants in this study were ten pregnant women with singleton between 28 and 36 gestation weeks as a pregnant women group, and ten female college students as a non-pregnant woman group. Primary outcomes was the rise in skin temperature and blood flow degree of pre and post moxibustion using the infrared thermography and the blood flow meter. As a result, after the moxibustion enforcement, skin temperature and blood flow of the acupuncture point BL67 (Zhiyin) and the femoral region were tending to increase. In addition, the change of the skin temperature after the moxibustion enforcement were upward trends until approximately 20 minutes. The feasibility of the study protocol was examined in terms of implementation, practicality, and acceptability. As an implementation, all the data analysis was possible. Practicality, there was no adverse event. Acceptability, all the participants answered it was good to participate. The feasibility of the study protocol was confirmed.

Free Research Field

代替医療

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

無煙棒灸が、いつ、どのように妊婦のからだを温かくしていくのか、どの程度持続し、どのように循環動態に変化をもたらすのかが解明されることにより、骨盤位妊婦への効果的な灸方法の開発に寄与すると考え実施した研究であった。本研究の結果より、妊婦が自宅で実施する骨盤位治療としての灸実施の時間や温まる感じ方の範囲といった観点からより効果的な治療法の示唆を得ることができた。