Acupuncture reduces numbness, local pain, and radiating pain from the neck. Investigators led this neck pain acupuncture research at Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Researchers tested the benefits of electroacupuncture versus cervical vertebra traction therapy. Both therapies produced significant results. However, electroacupuncture outperformed traction overall.
Neck Pain Acupuncture Research
The research focused on electroacupuncture at Huato acupoints along the spine on the neck. This neck pain acupuncture research investigated the relative efficacy between electroacupuncture and cervical traction for treating cervical radiculopathy. In addition, researchers used the Northwick Park Questionnaire (NPQ) to measure neck pain and patient disabilities.
Acupuncture More Effective Than Traction
NPQ scores for the electroacupuncture group dropped from 32.18 to 13.54 compared to the control group, which dropped from 31.68 to 16.33. Furthermore, on the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the electroacupuncture group dropped from 16.23 to 5.32, while the control group decreased from 16.51 to 8.20.
Neck Pain Study Participants
Investigators enrolled eighty cervical radiculopathy patients in the neck pain acupuncture research. Then, they randomly classified patients into two groups. The control group received cervical vertebra traction therapy. In contrast, the electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture. There were forty patients in each group. Importantly, no significant statistical distinction existed between the two groups at the outset.
Patient Enrollment Criteria
Patients had to meet the following criteria for admission:
1. Experiencing numbness, pain, and radiating pain on one or both sides of their neck.
2. Muscle stiffness in their neck and shoulders and a limited range of motion in their neck.
3. Complaining of pain along the sides of their neck parallel to the cervical vertebrae.
Electroacupuncture Treatment for Neck Pain
Patients in this neck pain acupuncture research protocol lay face down on the treatment table, face in a cradle similar to those on a massage table. First, practitioners selected three pairs of Huato points for each patient along the cervical spine based on their areas of pain. Next, tinserted sterile, single-use needles to a depth of 1.0 cun, gently manipulating them to access a deQi sensation (achy feeling near the needle). This technique ensured point activation for the best effect.
Third, the acupuncturists attached wires horizontally and turned on the electroacupuncture machine. Finally, they connected the first and third pairs of Huato points in the same direction and the second pair in the opposite direction.
Practitioners set the intensity to the patient’s tolerance level and achieved mild muscle contractions. One treatment course included 30-minute daily therapies for six consecutive days, followed by a one-day break. The clinical trial consisted of four courses of patient care.
Traction Treatment for Neck Pain
For traction, the practitioner placed each patient in a seated position where the muscles of the shoulder and neck were relaxed. Next, the patients were instructed to tilt their necks forward by 10 to 30 degrees (depending on the affected area on the cervical spine). Specifically, technicians performed cervical traction by fixing the patients’ heads with occipital facial bands.
The weight of traction was one-tenth of the patient’s body mass, or it could be increased or decreased according to the patient’s age and the severity of the condition. Investigators administered therapy for 30 minutes on alternative days for a total of 30 days.
Neck Pain Research Study Results
This neck pain acupuncture research showed that patients with cervical radiculopathy benefited tremendously from electroacupuncture. While both traction and electroacupuncture produced positive outcomes, electroacupuncture outperformed traction.
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Reference
Wang Chunying, Sun Zhongren, Wang Linjing, Sun Xinghua, Jiang Shanshan, Clinical Observation on Treating 40 Cases with Cervicalspondylotic Radiculopathy Using Electroacupuncture on Jiaji Points, Hunan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vol. 37 No. 10 Oct. 2021.
Focus Keyphrase: Neck Pain Acupuncture Research
Photo by Enoch Patro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-starring-upward-1779724/
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