To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Qi acupuncture treating osteoporosis of kidney deficiency type.

A total of 100 patients with osteoporosis of kidney deficiency type（admitted from June 2021 to June 2023）were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into acupuncture and moxibustion group and control group，with 50 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with alendronate tablets and calcium carbonate D3 tablets. Those in the acupuncture and moxibustion group were treated with Qi acupuncture on the basis of the treatment in the control group. During the treatment，4 patients in the acupuncture and moxibustion group fell off and 2 in the control group fell off. The clinical efficacy of each group and the integral changes of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms（lower back pain，foot weakness，tinnitus，deafness，skeletal weakness，forgetfulness and confusion）of patients before and after treatment were compared. The visual analog scale（VAS）was used to evaluate the degree of back pain in each group before and after treatment，and the oswestry disability index（ODI）to evaluate the back pain dysfunction. The changes in serum calcium（Ca）and phosphorus（P），N-terminal mid segment osteocalcin（N-MID），alkaline phosphatase（ALP），human Beta-Crossstraps（β-CTX）and changes in bone density of lumbar spine and femoral neck were observed. The adverse reactions were observed.

The effective rate of patients in the acupuncture and moxibustion group was higher than that in the control group（P<0.05）. Before treatment，the scores of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms（lower back pain，foot weakness，tinnitus，deafness，skeletal weakness，forgetfulness and confusion），VASand ODIscores，serum levels of Ca，P，N-MID，ALPandβ-CTX，lumbar spine and femoral neck bone density between two group had no significant（P>0.05）. After treatment，there were no significant changes in serum Ca or P in each group. The scores of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms（lower back pain，foot weakness，tinnitus，deafness，skeletal weakness，forgetfulness and confusion），VASand ODI scores，the levels of N-MID，ALP andβ-CTX，bone density of lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck were all improved，while in the acupuncture and moxibustion group，the scores of TCM symptoms（lower back pain，foot weakness，tinnitus，deafness，skeletal weakness，forgetfulness and confusion），VAS and ODI scores，the levels of N-MID，ALP andβ-CTX，lumbar spine and femoral neck bone density were superior to those in the control group（P<0.05）. There were fewer adverse reactions in each group（P>0.05）.

The clinical effect of Qi acupuncture on osteoporosis of kidney deficiency type is very good. The pain of patients is relieved，the symptoms are improved and the bone density is increased. There are fewer adverse reactions and it is safe and reliable.