〔Abstract〕 Objective To study the effect of ginger moxibustion combined with western medicine on rheumatoid arthritis (wind cold and dampness bi syndrome). Methods A total of 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (wind cold and dampness bi syndrome) admitted to the Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2019 to November 2021 were selected and randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with ginger moxibustion combined with western medicine (methotrexate tablets, leflunomide tablets combined with hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets). The control group was treated with western medicine alone. The clinical effects of the two groups were compared. Results The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.33 %, which was higher than 66.67 % of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome in the observation group was 86.67 %, higher than 60.00 % in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, the scores of flexion and extension disadvantage, cold, joint coldness and limb heaviness in the two groups decreased to different degrees, and the scores of flexion and extension disadvantage, cold, joint coldness and limb heaviness in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, the number of joint tenderness and joint swelling in the two groups were reduced to different degrees, and the time of morning stiffness was shortened to different degrees. After treatment, the number of joint tenderness and joint swelling in the observation group was less than that in the control group, and the time of morning stiffness was shorter than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, the visual analogue scale (VAS) and disease activity scores 28 (DAS28) of the two groups were decreased to different degrees, and the VAS and DAS28 scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, the quality of life scores of the two groups of patients were increased to different degrees, and the quality of life score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion Ginger moxibustion combined with western medicine is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (wind cold and dampness bi syndrome), which can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms, promote the recovery of the disease and improve the quality of life.