Clinical Study on Fu's Subcutaneous Needling Combined with Acupoint Tuina in the Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy with Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Syndrome
Abstract: Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of Fu's subcutaneous needling combined with acupoint tuina in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. Methods: A total of 100 CSR patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome treated in the Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina Department outpatient clinic,The First People's Hospital of Jiande from October 2022 to May 2024 were included. They were randomly divided into the control group and the combination group using the random number table method, with 50 cases in each group. Both groups received oral Celecoxib Capsules. The control group additionally received acupoint tuina, while the combination group received Fu's subcutaneous needling in addition to the control group's treatment. Both groups were treated for two weeks. Clinical efficacy was evaluated after two weeks of treatment. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score,Neck Disability Index (NDI) score,Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) score, Chinese version of the Quality of Life (QOL) scale score, cervical range of motion( ROM),hemorheological indices,and inflammatory factor levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions was recorded. Results: The total effective rate in the combination group was 94.00% (47/50), which was higher than that of 80.00% (40/50) in the control group (P< 0.05). After treatment, the VAS, NDI, and NPQ scores decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the VAS, NDI, and NPQ scores were lower in the combination group than those in the control group (P<0.05). QOL scores increased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05),and the QOL score was higher in the combination group than that in the control group (P<0.05). The cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation angles increased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P< 0.05),and the cervical flexion,extension,lateral flexion,and rotation angles were greater in the combination group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The whole blood high-shear viscosity, whole blood low-shear viscosity, plasma viscosity,platelet aggregation rate,and levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β),interleukin-6 (IL-6),and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). These four hemorheological indices and three inflammatory factor levels were lower in the combination group than in the control group( P<0.05). No serious adverse events occurred in either group during the study. Conclusion:Fu's subcutaneous needling combined with acupoint tuina in the treatment of CSR with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome can effectively alleviate pain,improve cervical function,reduce blood viscosity,inhibit inflammatory response,enhance quality of life,and demonstrates high safety.