title: [Impacts on vertebral arterial blood flow of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type treated by abdominal acupuncture].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of abdominal acupuncture for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty cases of cervical vertigo, in which the color ultrasonography indicated vertebral arterial blood insufficiency, were treated with abdominal acupuncture therapy. The points were Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Xiawan (CV 10), Shangqu (KI 17) and Huaroumen (ST 24). The treatment was given once every day and five continuous treatments made one session. Separately, before treatment and in the 1st and 5th treatments, the cervical vertigo symptom and functional assessment scales were adopted for scoring. Simultaneously, the color ultrasonography was applied to observe the blood flow changes of the bilateral cervical arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Except the score for headache in the 1st treatment, the scores in cervical vertigo and function assessment scale in the 1st and 5th treatments were all improved significantly in 30 patients as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). In the 1st and 5th treatments, on the affected side, the vertebral artery diameter, mean velocity and blood flow per minute were all improved significantly as compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.01). In one session treatment, the total effective rate was 100.0% (30/30) and the curative rate was 60.0% (18/30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal acupuncture therapy not only relieves the clinical symptoms, but also improves vertebral arterial blood supply for the patients of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Guangdong Hospital of TCM Zhuhai Branch, Zhuhai 519015, China. aizhou716@sohu.com
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Guang-De
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Cui
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Feng-Bin
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult