Abstract
Objectives : This study was designed to find out whether there is a correlation between qi-stagnation score and pressure pain threshold (PPT) on acupuncture point $CV_{17}$ in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients. Methods : Thirty BMS patients who newly visited Oral Disease Clinic at the Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital were surveyed. The subjects were evaluated on age, illness duration, sex, self-assessed severity of BMS, qi-stagnation score, and PPT on 3 acupuncture points ($CV_{17}$, Rt. $SP_9$, Lt. $SP_9$). Results : There was significant correlation between age and PPT on $CV_{17}$ (p=0.005). Therefore, partial correlation analysis with age as control variable was done, and the result showed significant correlation between qi-stagnation score and PPT on $CV_{17}$ (p=0.001). Qi-stagnation diagnostic point by PPT on $CV_{17}$ was suggested as 3.8056 $kg/cm^2$ based on the fact that diagnostic score is 28.50 in the qi-stagnation questionnaire. Furthermore, considering that PPT is effected by age, we could attain qi-stagnation diagnostic equation of PPT on $CV_{17}$, that is suggested as $0.047{\times}(age)+0.848kg/cm^2$. PPT of 3 acupuncture points ($CV_{17}$, Rt. $SP_9$, Lt. $SP_9$) was compared, and the result showed that PPT was significantly lower on $CV_{17}$ (w/Rt $SP_9$: p=0.022, w/Lt. $SP_9$: p=0.012). Also, significance and correlation coefficient with qi-stagnation were higher on $CV_{17}$ (p<0.001, r=-0.620) than Rt. $SP_9$ (p=0.023, r=-0.413) or Lt. $SP_9$ (p=0.014, r=-0.444). Conclusions : The result of this study suggested that PPT on $CV_{17}$, measured quantitatively by algometer, had a strong correlation with qi-stagnation score in BMS patients. Therefore, the study showed that $CV_{17}$ can be a useful acupuncture point in diagnosing qi-stagnation by measuring PPT in BMS patients.