Clinical Study on Neck-shoulder-waist-leg Pain Cataplasms Combined with Electroacupuncture in the Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy with Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Syndrome in Acute Stage / 中国中医药信息杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of neck-shoulder-waist-leg pain cataplasms combined with electroacupuncture in the treatment of acute cervical radiculopathy(CR)with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome;To evaluate the synergistic effect and safety of neck-shoulder-waist-leg pain cataplasms.Methods Totally 132 CR patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis type in acute stage were randomly divided into treatment group(66 cases)and control group(66 cases).The treatment group was treated with electroacupuncture combined with neck-shoulder-waist-leg pain cataplasms,and the control group was treated with electroacupuncture combined with placebo.Both groups were treated once a day for 5 days and then rested for 2 days for 3 weeks,and follow-up was performed at 1 and 2 weeks after treatment.Clinical efficacy of both groups was observed.The short-form McGill pain questionnaire(SF-MPQ)score,neck disability index(NDI)score,and the F-wave conduction velocity of the median nerve and ulnar nerve were compared before and after treatment and at follow-up.Results 5 and 7 cases were lost in the treatment group and the control group,respectively.The total effective rate of the treatment group was 91.80%(56/61),and the recovery rate was 36.07%(22/61).The total effective rate of the control group was 84.75%(50/59),and the recovery rate was 18.65%(11/59).The difference in recovery rates between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,the SF-MPQ score and NDI score in both groups improved significantly(P<0.05)after treatment and at 1 and 2 weeks of follow-up,and the F-wave conduction velocity of the median and ulnar nerves increased significantly(P<0.05)after treatment.Comparison between two groups at the same time points showed that the SF-MPQ score and NDI score of the treatment group were better than those of the control group(P<0.05)after treatment and at 1 and 2 weeks of follow-up,and the F-wave conduction velocity of the median and ulnar nerves was faster than that of the control group(P<0.05)after treatment.There were no serious adverse reactions in the two groups.Conclusion Neck-shoulder-waist-leg pain cataplasms combined with electroacupuncture can improve the clinical symptoms of CR with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome in acute stage.Electroacupuncture plus neck-shoulder-waist-leg pain cataplasms can speed up the recovery process of the disease,which has synergistic effect.