[Understanding the dual character of negative and positive results in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials in foreign countries].

The differences in the objective, starting point, disease spectrum and interventions of acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials at home and abroad are collected. By taking two articles of acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials in foreign countries accepted by JAMA as example, the reasons are analyzed on the dual character of negative and positive results obtained in acupuncture-moxibustion trials of foreign countries. The therapeutic regimens in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials in foreign countries are lack of TCM thinking, the manipulation of interventions have not displayed the basic principle of TCM in treatment of diseases, which is separated the theory from the practice in treatment with Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture-moxibustion. Besides, the advantages in therapeutic effect of acupuncture-moxibustion have not been truly reflected. Regarding the dual character of negative and positive results in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials of foreign countries, it is suggested that acupuncture-moxibustion has not been thoroughly understood in foreign countries and its research content have not been in compliance with the theory of traditional acupuncture-moxibustion.