ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency combined with fixed-point lateral flexion and rotation realignment cervical manipulation in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). Methods Sixty-three patients with CSR were randomly divided into observation group (n=32) and control group (n=31). The observation group was given pulse radiofrequency combined with fixed-point lateral flexion and rotation realignment cervical manipulation, and the control group was given the pulsed radiofrequency treatment. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were obtained before the treatment, 7 days and 3 months after the treatment. The temperature differences of bilateral upper limbs infrared thermal imaging were observed before and 3 months after the treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated by using TCM disease and syndrome diagnosis criteria. Results After 7 days and 3 months of the treatment, the VAS scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatments, the VAS scores of the observation group were lower than the control group, and all the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The JOA scores in the two groups were higher than those before treatment, the JOA scores of the observation group were higher than the control group , and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the infrared temperature difference between the upper limbs of the observation group and the control group before treatments [(0.83±0.27) °C vs (0.87±0.29) °C, P>0.05]. Three months after the treatment, the temperature difference of infrared thermography in the upper limbs of the observation group was better than that of the control group (P<0.05), and the cure rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (68.75％vs 22.58％, P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the total effective rate between the two groups (93.75％vs 90.32％, P>0.05). Conclusions The pulsed radiofrequency combined with the fixed-point lateral flexion and rotation realignment cervical manipulation in the treatment of radiculopathic cervical spondylosis was effective in improving pain, function and infrared imaging temperature of upper limbs.