OBJECTIVE To observe clinical therapeutic effect of warming needle moxibustion on chronic pelvic in flammation of cold-damp stagnation type. METHODS Eighty-five cases with chronic pelvic inflammation were randomly divided into a warming needle moxibustion group of 45 cases and a Chinese drug group of 40 cases. The war ming needle moxibustion group were treated with warming needle moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Shenshu (BL 23) etc. and the Chinese drug group were treated with oral administration of TCM decoction, one dose each day. One course was constituted by 10 days. After treatment of 3 courses, the therapeutic effects, changes of C-reactive protein (CRP) level and the recurrence rate of the cured cases a half year later were observed. RESULTS The total effective rate was 95.6% in the warming needle moxibustion group and 77.5% in the Chinese drug group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Twenty-five cases in each group were selected to determine CRP levels and results showed that before and after treatment CRP levels were (16.47 +/- 7.11) mg/L and (5.98 +/- 2.29) mg/L in the warming needle moxibustion group, and (16.32 +/- 8.19) mg/L and (8.63 +/- 2.41) mg/L in the Chinese drug group, with significantly decreased in the two groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and with a significant difference between the two group after treatment (P < 0.05). In the warming needle moxibustion group, of 23 cases followed-up, 2 cases relapsed, while in the Chinese drug group, among 9 cases followed-up, 2 cases relapsed. CONCLUSIONS Warming needle moxibustion has a definite therapeutic effect on chronic pelvic inflammation of cold-damp stagnation type and better improves CRP level of the patient.