ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine fumigation combined with manipulation massage on children with muscular torticollis. Methods Sixty-two children with torticollis were enrolled in our hospital from January 2015 to November 2016. They were randomly divided into control group (n=31) and observation group (n=31). The control group was treated with different methods of massage, and the observation group was treated with traditional Chinese medicine based on the control group. The treatment last for 3 months. The clinical effect, cervical rotation score, muscle contracture score, head tilt score, head malformations were observed. The Doppler ultrasound was used for the mass thickness and elastic coefficient of sternocleidomastoid. Results After 3 months treatment, the total effective rate was 93.5% (29/31) in the observation group, 77.4% (24/31) in the control group, and the difference between two groups were statistically significant (χ2=6.902, P=0.039). The cervical rotation score (2.8 ± 0.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.3, Z=7.698), the muscle contracture score (2.7 ± 0.4 vs. 1.6 ± 0.4, Z=6.949), the head tilt score (2.8 ± 0.2 vs. 1.6 ± 0.4, Z=8.021), the head malformations score (2.4 ± 0.5 vs. 2.0 ± 0.3, Z=5.949) in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The mass thickness (6.23 ± 1.18 mm vs. 9.02 ± 1.19 mm, Z=10.075) in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The time of cure (30.4 ± 14.0 d vs. 59.2 ± 12.2 d, Z=10.218) and the time of improvement (34.6 ± 11.3 d vs. 55.2 ± 15.5 d, Z=11.249) in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions The Chinese medicine fumigation combined with manipulation could treat the children with muscular torticollis.