title: [Controlled clinical trials on the Pizhen and massage for the treatment of thoracic lateral cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical effects of Pizhen for the treatment of thoracic lateral cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 2004 to April 2008, among the 320 patients with thoracic lateral cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome, 160 patients (105 patients were male and 55 patients were female, ranging in age from 26 to 66 years, with an average of 46.00 +/- 0.79 years) were treated with Pizhen for 3 to 7 days, and 160 patients (98 patients were male and 62 patients were female, ranging in age from 19 to 64 years,with an average of 47.00 +/- 0.35 years) were treated with massage for 1 to 2 months. The therapeutic effects of the two groups were compared based on changes of tension test of local soft tissues, local pain and tenderness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients were followed up and the duration ranged from 7 to 12 months, averaged in 10.3 months. Among the patients in Pizhen group, 119 patients got an excellent result, 27 good, 12 fair, and 2 poor, and the tension test of local soft tissues decreased from preoperative (3.68 +/- 0.28) to postoperative (2.13 +/- 0.35). In the control group, 73 patients got an excellent result, 38 good, 40 fair, and 9 poor, the tension test of local soft tissues decreased from preoperative (3.59 +/- 0.22) to postoperative (3.17 +/- 0.19). The therapeutic effects and tension test of local soft tissue in the two groups had statistical differences (P < 0.01). The therapeutic effects of Pizhen group was better than that of the control group, and the postoperative tension test of local soft tissues of patients in Pizhen group was lower than that of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical effect of Pizhen is better than the massage for the treatment of thoracic lateral cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome. The Pizhen is effective to decrease the pressure around nerve, relax the adhesion, so as to eliminate the stimulation and compression of sensory nerve endings to relieve the pain quickly. But massage need longer course of treatment. So Pizhen therapy is safe, good and easily to practice, which is better than massage therapy.
authors.affiliation: The Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital, Taizhou 318050, Zhejiang, China. yyr-5560@163.com
authors.forename: You-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Rang-Teng
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: You-Ji
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: De-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guang-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Fu-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult