[Observation on therapeutic effect of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type treated with both acupuncture and mild moxibustion].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the clinical therapeutic effects on cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type treated with both acupuncture and mild moxibustion and investigate the mechanism of action.


METHODS
Sixty cases were randomly divided into the combined therapy group of acupuncture and mild moxibustion (combined therapy group) and the acupuncture group, 30 cases for each group. In combined therapy group, Baihui (GV 20), Fengchi (GB 20) and cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) were punctured, and Baihui(GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Mingmen (GV 4), Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4) were treated with mild moxibustion; in acupuncture group, acupuncture was simply applied, the acupoints selection and manipulation were the same as those in the combined therapy group. The average velocity meter and the resistive index of vertebral and basal arteries were observed before and after treatment by TCD examination, the therapeutic effects and clinical symptom-sign scores were observed too.


RESULTS
The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in combined therapy group, and 73.3% (22/30) in acupuncture group. The therapeutic effect in combined therapy group was superior to that in acupuncture group (P < 0.05). The improvements of symptom-sign scores in two groups after treatment were more significant than that before treatment, and the score in the combined therapy group was superior to that in acupuncture group (P < 0.05). The average velocity meter and the resistive index of vertebral and basal arteries after treatment were improved in both groups, in which, the improvement in combined therapy group was more apparent (all P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The therapeutic effects on cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type treated with both acupuncture and mild moxibustion are preferable; by this therapy, the average velocity meter of vertebral and basal arteries are accelerated and the resistive index is decreased.
Acupuncture Department, The First Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi College of TCM, Nanning 530023, China. ygq5612@sina.com
Guang-Qiang
GQ
Yi
Yi-Xiang
YX
Huang
Min
M
Lu
Lie-Tao
LT
He
Ning-Hua
NH
Huang
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult