From March of 1997 to May of 1999, the author treated 138 cases of cervical spondylopathy by puncturing the neck portion of Bladder Meridian and achieved a better therapeutic effect. Here is the report.

Clinical Data

1. General data: Of the 138 cases of cervical spondylopathy, 72 were male and 66 female, ranging in age from 18 to 79 years. Those under age of 30 were 21 cases , between age of 31 and 40 years 26 cases, between 41 to 50 years 40 cases, between 51 to 60 years 38 cases, between 61 to 70 years 10 cases and above 70 years 3 cases.

2. Diagnostic principles: According to the standards for diagnosis of cervical spondylopathy formulated in the symposium on cervical spondylopathy held in Guilin in 1984, patients with typical clinical symptoms and signs and abnormal X-ray changes were diagnosed as cervical spondylopathy; or those with typical clinic al manifestations but without abnormal X-ray changes were also diagnosed as cervical spondylopathy after excluding other diseases. Those with abnormal X-ray changes but without typical clinical manifestations were not diagnosed as this kind of disease.

3. Symptoms and signs of this group of patients were soreness and distention in the shoulder region, numbness or cool feeling in the upper limbs, headache, vertigo, tinnitus, palpitation, fullness in the chest, precordial dull pain, dry mouth, foreign body sensation in the throat, hypomnesis and fatigue.

Treatment Methods 

1. Acupoint selection: The imaging line between Tianzhu (BL 10) and Dazhu (BL 1 1) on one side of the neck along the Bladder Meridian of the Foot-Taiyang were equally divided into 4 segments, the 3 crossing points of each two segments were chosen as the treatment points. Three of the five acupoints including Tianzhu ( BL 10) and Dazhu (BL 11) were selected according to patients' symptoms and signs . For example, the upper 3 points were used for patients chiefly with dizziness, headache and tinnitus; the middle 3 points were selected for patients chiefly with soreness, distension, discomfort in the neck, dry mouth and foreign body sensation in the throat; and the lower 3 points were selected for patients with numbness and cool feeling in the upper limbs.

2. Needling manipulations: The patient was asked to take a sitting position, wit h both the hands placing on the two legs spontaneously. In the light of t he patient's symptoms and signs, each 3 points on bilateral sides were selected. After routine sterilization, 6 filiform needles (gauge-28 or-30, 1.5 c un long) were inserted respectively into the aforementioned 6 points, with t he needle tip being vertically and slightly downward to advance about 1.0 cun in depth. Following achieving needling sensations, the patient was ordered to bend his or her body forwards and backwards, and rotate the head and neck leftwards and rightwards repeatedly and slowly for strengthening the needling sensations. The needles were then remained for 30 min and removed later. The treatment was conducted once daily, with 10 sessions being a therapeutic course. All the patients were treated for 3 courses at most.

Observation on the Therapeutic Effect 

1. Standards for Evaluating the Therapeutic Effect Cured: After treatment, all the symptoms and signs were relieved and had no any relapse in one year's follow-up. Markedly effective: All the clinical symptoms were relieved basically and had no apparent deterioration in one year's follow-up. Improvement: Clinical symptoms were improved partially, or relieved basically and temporally, but appeared again after a period of time. No effect: Clinical symptoms had no an y significant improvement.

2. Results: After treatment, of the 138 cases, 57 (41.3%) were cured; 63 (45.6 %) had marked improvement; and 18 (13.1%) had improvement. The cure rate was 41.3% and the effective rate was 100%. Among the cured 57 cases, 18 cases were cured after one course of treatment, 30 cases cured after 2 courses of treatment and 9 cases cured after 3 courses of treatment.

Discussion 

Cervical spondylopathy, also called as cervical vertebral hypertrophic syndrome is a common disease. Its clinical manifestations are pain or abnormal sensation in the head, neck, shoulder and the upper limbs. In recent years, it is not seldom seen in young people and is associated with the profession and posture during work and study. Modern medicine holds that cervical spondylopathy often results from the oppression exerted on the spinal nerve roots and blood vessels due to structural disorders including retrograde degeneration of the cervical intervertebral discs, progressive hyperplasia of the cervical vertebrae, etc. After acupuncture stimulation, the muscular spasm or high tension in the cervical and shoulder regions could be relieved, leading to elimination or reducing of the oppress ion. As a result, the inflammatory edema of the topical tissues was removed and the local blood circulation and nutrient supply were ameliorated; the dynamic balance of the cervical vertebral structure and their surrounding soft tissues was reestablished, and symptoms were relieved at last.

In traditional Chinese medicine, cervical spondylopathy belongs to the category of arthralgia-syndrome and results frequently from blockage of local meridian s and malnutrition of the local joints, muscles and tendons due to invasion of pathogenic wind, cold and dampness. It is said in the classic medical book Miraculous Pivot that in treatment of patient with neck pain and inability to bend or lift the head, the Foot-Taiyang Meridian is punctured; if the patient can not rotate his or her head backwards, the Hand-Taiyang Meridian is punctured. I n the present study, the Bladder Meridian, i.e. the affected area was punctured for driving pathogens out, regulating Qi and blood, dredging meridians and removing blood stasis.

By Li Sikang, Wang Mei