ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with granule for nerve-root type cervical spondylosis and its effects on serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and hemorheological indexes.@*METHODS@#A total of 114 patients with nerve-root type cervical spondylosis were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 57 cases in each group. The patients in both groups were treated with traction. The patients in the control group were treated with oral administration of granule, 4 g each time, 3 times a day, while based on the treatment of control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at Dazhui (GV 14), Tianzhu (BL 10), Houxi (SI 3), cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2), Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4) and Waiguan (TE 5), once a day. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. The simplified McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ), neck disability index (NDI), numbness score, levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β in serum and hemorheological indexes were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#The total effective rate was 91.2% (52/57) in the observation group, which was higher than 71.9% (41/57) in the control group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, the scores of MPQ, NDI and numbness in the two groups were reduced after treatment (<0.05). After treatment, the scores of MPQ, NDI and numbness in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (<0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β in the two groups were reduced (<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (<0.05). After treatment, the plasma viscosity, fibrinogen, low shear rate of whole blood viscosity and high shear rate of whole blood viscosity in the two groups were lower than before treatment (<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture combined with granule have significant clinical efficacy for nerve-root type cervical spondylosis, which could reduce the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β and improve hemorheology.