Clinical Investigation on Treatment of Vertebral Cervical Spondylopathy with Three-step Acupuncture and Cupping Therapy

OBJECTIVE To observe the therapeutic effect of the three-step acupuncture and cupping therapy in the treatment of vertebral cervical spondylopathy. METHOD 197 patients with vertebral cervical spondylopathy (Group A) were treated with this therapy, compared with 40 patients (Group B) treated with normal acupuncture and another 40 patients (Group C) treated with western medicine. RESULT The therapeutic effect obtained in Group A was markedly better than those in Groups B and C ( P 0.01). There was no significant difference among different types of the disease in the therapeutic effect in Group A. After the treatment, the amount and speed of the blood flow in the cervical artery in the patients in Group A were markedly greater than those in the other two groups ( P 0.01), and the internal diameter of the blood vessel was markedly improved ( P 0.05). CONCLUSION This method is effective in treating vertebral cervical spondylopathy, the mechanism of which lies in its effect in improving the function of the cervical artery.