Objective: To observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture on late sudden deafness of different types.
Methods: According to the principles of TCM syndrome differentiation treatment, 63 cases were treated with acupuncture, once very other day, 7 days constituting one course with a interval of 3 days between two courses. Changes of the hearing threshold, and the difference of therapeutic effects between different states of illness and different types were investigated.
Results: Four cases (6.3%) were cured, 17 cases (27.0%) were markedly effective, 19 cases (30.2%) were effective, and 23 cases (36.5%) were ineffective, the total effective rate being 63.5%; there was a significant difference in the mean hearing threshold before and after treatment (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The milder the state of illness, the better the therapeutic effect of the acupuncture; in addition, acupuncture has the best therapeutic effect for the type with decrease of the curve of audition, and better therapeutic effects for the types of upward invasion of phlegm-heat, and the type of stagnation of turbid phlegm in the middle-jiao.