text: OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effect of the combined method of acupuncture and ginger-partition moxibustion with that of routine western medicine on the patients with cardiac arrhythmia. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with cardiac arrhythmia were randomly divided into an observation group (38 cases) and a control group (37 cases). In the observation group, the patients were treated at Neiguan (PC 6) with acupuncture, and Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Gongsun (SP 4) etc. with ginger-partition moxibustion. In the control group, the patients were given the routine western medicine for cardiac arrhythmia, such as Metoprolol, Propafenone and Aspirin (enteric solubility). Through the 2-4 courses of treatment and 1 year follow-up survey, the therapeutic effect, recurrence and complication on the patients were observed and compared between the both groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate of 97.4% in the observation group was better than that of 81.1% in the control group (P < 0.05). The serious recurrence rate and complication occurred in the observation group were lower than those of the control group (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of the combined method of acupuncture and ginger-partition moxibustion on the patients with cardiac arrhythmia is obviously better than that of routine western medicine.