Abstract
Objectives: Daechu (Dazhui: GV 14 (Governor Vessel))-point is located between the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra and that of the 1st thoracic vertebra. GV 14 has been used to treat high fever, neck pain, common cold, headache and so on. Fever may badly affect the improvement of stroke patients, so we investigated whether wet-cupping at GV 14 had effects on fever. Methods: In this study, 100 stroke patients were studied from Nov. 1999 to Oct. 2000. They were divided into the Sample group (n=49) and Control group (n=5l). The Sample group (n=49) was divided into Sample-Severe (n=2l), Sample-Mild (n=12), and Sample-Normal groups (n=16) and the Control group (n=5l) was divided into Control-Severe (n=8) and Control-Mild (n=43). We checked body temperature 6 times (just before treatment, after 30 ruin., 60, 90, 120 (2 hrs.), and 240 ruin. (4 hrs.)) in the Sample group and 3 times (just before treatment, after 120 min. (2 hrs.), and 240 ruin. (4 hrs.)) in the Control group. Results: In comparison with fever between before treatment and after 2 and 4 hours in each group, fever in the Sample subgroups decreased significantly in all cases, fever in the Control subgroups didn't decrease significantly in most cases except fever after 4 hours in the Control-Mild group. In comparison with fever differences between the Sample and Control group, fever of the Sample group more significantly decreased than that of the Control group in all comparisons. In comparison with fever among sample subgroups, fever of the Sample-Severe group decreased more than that of the Sample-Mild group but it was not significant. Conclusions: This study suggested that wet-cupping at GV 14 has significant effects on fever in stroke patients. We hope that this treatment will be used more widely as an emergent treatment.
