Symptomatic improvement of cervical spondylosis by sliding cupping and its relation to disease course and age

Xia LIU; Guiling LIU; Hong ZHANG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Sliding cupping has been used for treating cervical spondylosis, with the effects of dredging the meridian system, activating qi and removing blood stasis.

OBJECTIVE:

To probe into symptomatic improvement of cervical spondylosis with sliding cupping and the relationship between curative effect and course of disease as well as age.

DESIGN:

Self controlled observation.

SETTING:

Department of Physiotherapy, General Hospital of Air Force of Chinese PLA.

PARTICIPANTS:

Totally 100 out-patients with cervical spondylosis receiving treatment in the Department of Physiotherapy, General Hospital of Air Force of Chinese PLA were involved from December 2000 to December 2003. Among them, 39 cases were male and 61 cases were female; 9 cases were under 30 years old, 38 cases were 31 to 40 years old, 42 cases were 41 to 50 years old and 11 cases were above 50 years old. There were 36 cases with less-than-one-year course of disease, 49 with 1 to 5-year course and 15 with more-than-5-year course. Fifty-one cases were cervical type; 25 cases vertebral artery type; 24 cases nerve root type. X-ray examination revealed that there were 69 cases whose cervical vertebral physiological curvature became straight or reverse, or with certain degree of degenerative change. Vertebroarterial blood supply insufficiency was detected in 23 cases by rheoencephalogram.

INTERVENTIONS:

The patients were asked to be in prone sitting position,their nape and shoulder were fully exposed, and the negative pressure cupping was applied to patient' s nape and shoulder until petechiae appeared on the skin. The treatment was given once or twice a week. After one-month treatment, the curative effect was calculated according to subjective symptoms, signs, and the results of X-ray and rheoencephalogram examination before and after treatment. Symptom disappearance pain was 0 grade; the cervical vertebral physiological curvature restored by 10°- 15° and rheoencephalogram showed that the contraction peak velocity of the vertebroarterial blood supply became normal. Marked improvement the pain reduced by more than 2 grade, the cervical vertebral physiological curvature restored by 6°9° and rheoencephalogram showed that the vertebroarterial blood supply restored to 80% of the normal range. Improvement the pain reduced by 1 grade, the cervical vertebral physiological curvature restored by 3°- 5° and rheoencephalogram showed that the vertebroarterial blood supply restored to 40% - 80% of the normal range. Inefficacy the pain did not reduce, the cervical vertebral physiological curvature restored by less than 3° and rheoencephalogram showed that the vertebroarterial blood supply became less than 40%.

RESULTS:

According to the intention-to-treat analysis, 100 patients entered the result analysis. For symptom disappearance, marked improvement,improvement, inefficacy there were 27, 17, 5 and 2 cases respectively in cervical type; 8, 10,4 and 3 cases respectively in the vertebral artery type;4,9,7 and 4 cases respectively in the nerve root type. There were 19, 12, 3 and 2 cases respectively with less-than-one-year course of disease; 18, 19, 7 and 5 cases respectively with 1 to 5-year course; 2, 5, 6 and 2 cases respectively with more-than-5-year course. And there were 5, 3 and 1 cases respectively with age ＜ 30 years; 18, 13, 4 and 3 cases respectively with age of 31 to 40 years; 15, 18, 5 and 4 cases respectively with age of 41 to 50years; 1, 2, 6 and 2 cases respectively with age ＞ 50 years.

CONCLUSION:

The effect of sliding cupping was good for patients with cervical spondylosis of vertical type, next of vertebroarterial type and bad of nerve root type. The shorter the course of disease is, the younger the patient is, and the better the curative effect is.