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Introduction Moxibustion therapy has been used in oriental medicine for symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome such as diarrhoea and constipation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of moxibustion for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods This study was conducted at Semyung Korean Medical Hospital, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea. Twenty-four patients (12 males, 12 females) aged 18–30 years who were diagnosed with IBS using the Rome III criteria were included. trial In this triple blind randomised controlled trial patients were allocated to receive either 3-cone moxibustion or 1-cone moxibustion. Moxa was applied to Guan Yuan (CV4) for 20 min. The Bowel Symptom Severity Scale (BSSS) score was used as the primary outcome measure; the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scale – Korean Version (IBSSS-K) score, heart rate variability (HRV), visceral sensitivity questionnaire, and a pattern identification questionnaire were secondary outcome measures. Results There was a significant difference in IBSSS-K scores after moxibustion in both the 3CMG (score: before: 217.50 ± 79.95, after: 137.42 ± 68.70, p = 0.021) and 1CMG groups (score: before: 217.67 ± 98.77, after: 112.25 ± 71.11, p = 0.006). There were no significant differences in the BSSS scores, IBSSS-K scores, Qi stagnation questionnaire scores, or cold-heat pattern questionnaire scores, between the two groups. Conclusions Different doses of moxibustion resulted in similar efficacy levels for the treatment of IBS. These preliminary findings suggest that moxibustion therapy may be effective and can be safe in improving the symptoms of IBS.

Introduction This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treating irritable bowel syndrome patients with a proper dose of moxibustion. Methods and analysis This study will be a 4-week-long, randomised controlled pilot clinical trial. Twenty-four patients will be recruited and randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups: a 3 moxibustion treatment intervention group and a 1 moxibustion treatment control group. Both groups will receive two moxibustion sessions a week for 4 weeks (8 sessions in total). The primary outcome will be measured using the Bowel Symptom Severity Scale. The inclusion criteria are as follows. The patients will be between 18 and 30 years old and of either gender. The patients will have experienced repeated abdominal pain or discomfort (i.e., an uncomfortable sensation not described as pain) at least 3 times per month in association with two or more of the following over the previous 3 months: (a) improvement with defecation; (b) onset associated with a change in the frequency of defecation; (c) onset associated with a change in the form (appearance) of stool. All included patients will have provided written consent to the clinical ethics committee and have agreed with both the clinical trial plan and follow-up observations. Ethics and dissemination This research protocol has been reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of the trial centre (Semyung Korean Medicine Hospital, IRB No. 2016-06-01). The results will be published in a journal and will be disseminated both electronically and in print.