title: [Multicenter randomized controlled study on acupuncture-massage comprehensive program for treatment of cervical spondylosis of arterial type].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To probe into clinical value of the acupuncture-massage comprehensive program for treatment of cervical spondylosis of arterial type (CSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  By using three-center, single-blind, randomized, controlled method, the eligible subjects were randomly divided into an acupuncture-massage group, an acupuncture group, a massage group, 60 cases in each group. They were treated with acupuncture-massage comprehensive program, simple acupuncture and simple massage, respectively. And multiple-dimensional indexes were established to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baselines of the general data were no different among the 3 groups. The cured-markedly effective and the effective rate were 68.3% and 88.3% in the acupuncture-massage group, 51.7% and 75.0% in the acupuncture group, and 50.0% and 76.7% in the massage group, respectively, the acupuncture-massage group being better than the other 2 groups (P<0.05); after treatment, the total cumulative scores for symptoms in the 3 groups decreased significantly (all P<0.01), the acupuncture-massage group being superior to the other 2 groups (P<0.05); and the physical signs in the 3 groups improved significantly (P<0.01), with no significant differences among the 3 groups (P>0.05); the time inducing the effect in the acupuncture-massage group was shorter than that in the other 2 groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and no adverse effects were found in the 3 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This acupuncture-massage comprehensive therapy has a definite therapeutic effect on CSA with safety, and it is of superiority as compared with the simple acupuncture or the simple massage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Meridians, Sichuan Provincial Academy of TCM, Chengdu, China. zjw711@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jian-wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ling-xiang
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chun-yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing-jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yun-guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cheng-wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008405:Massage; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000628:therapy