Collateral bloodletting at ashi point combined with external application of Sanqi powder for 120 cases of old ankle injury

Objective: To study the clinical effect on old ankle injury treated with collateral bloodletting at ashi point combined with the external application of Sanqi((sic) Radix et Rhizoma Notoginseng) powder. Methods: 120 outpatients with old ankle injury were collected from the Department of Disease Prevention of Shenzhen Pingle Orthopaedics and Traumatology Hospital. Ashi points were selected. The three-edged needle or the syringe needle for single use was used to prick the ashi points for 5-10 times till the slight bleeding presented in local area. Afterwards, the cupping was used at the pricked area for 1015 min to ensure the complete elimination of stagnant blood. Such therapies were given once a week. On the day after the day of bleeding and cuping, Sanqi powder was applied externally, once a day. The pain score (visual analogue scale,VAS) and the clinical effect were observed in the patients. Results: A total of 115 patients accomplished the whole procedure of treatment. The pain mean score of VAS was (3.2 +/- 0.4) points before treatment and it were (0.28 +/- 0.5) points after treatment. Of them, 104 cases were cured completely, 8 cases effective significantly and 3 cases failed. Conclusion: The combined treatment with bloodletting therapy at ashi point and the external application of Sanqi powder achieves the satisfactory clinical effect on old ankle injury and this therapy deserves to be promoted in clinical practice. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.