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Analysis on the effect of acupuncture in treating cervical spondylosis with different syndrome types

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Abstract

Objective

To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture in treating cervical spondylosis with different syndrome types.

Methods

One hundred and seventeen patients were randomized into the treated group: (59 cases), treated with normal acupuncture, and the control group (58 cases), treated with sham acupuncture, operated once every other day, 9 times in total (in 18 days) as one therapeutic course, and a succeeding 3-month follow-up study was carried out after terminating the therapy. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated with the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the scores gained in patients with different syndrome types were analyzed with a general linear model.

Results

The NPQ and VAS: scores showed a linear decreasing tendency in both groups at the time of ending treatment and the 1st month of follow-up, but showed a secondary curve increasing tendency in the 3rd month of follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed the difference was of statistical significance (P<0.05). However, the analysis through lead-in of syndrome type as an individual influencing factor showed that syndrome type exerts a significant influence on VAS score (P<0.05), but has insignificant influence on the NPQ score (P>0.05).

Conclusion

Acupuncture shows: good immediate effect in treating cervical spondylosis, but its long-term effect is not satisfactory. The difference in syndrome type may have some impact on the effects of acupuncture in alleviating pain, but exerts no evident influence on the comprehensive effect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Wen-bin Fu  (符文彬), Zhao-hui Liang  (梁兆晖), Xiao-ping Zhu  (朱晓平), Peng Yu  (于 鹏) & Ji-fu Zhang  (张继福)

  2. Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medicinal Sciences, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Zhao-hui Liang  (梁兆晖)

Authors
  1. Wen-bin Fu  (符文彬)
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  2. Zhao-hui Liang  (梁兆晖)
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  3. Xiao-ping Zhu  (朱晓平)
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  4. Peng Yu  (于 鹏)
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  5. Ji-fu Zhang  (张继福)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhao-hui Liang  (梁兆晖).

Additional information

Supported by the Guangdong Administration of Science and Technology (No. 2006B50107006), and the Eleventh Five-year Scientific Supported Project by the State Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2006BAI12B04)

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Fu, Wb., Liang, Zh., Zhu, Xp. et al. Analysis on the effect of acupuncture in treating cervical spondylosis with different syndrome types. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 15, 426–430 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-009-0426-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-009-0426-z

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