Study Of Contemporary Laws Of Selection Of Acupoints For The Treatment Of Nerve Root Type Cervical Spondylosis By Acupuncture Therapy

ObjectivesThrough the study of the modern clinical research in the treatment of nerve root-type cervical spondylopathy by acupuncture, the selection of commonly-used acupoints, laws of acupoint combination and selection and methods of acupuncture can be summarized. These can provide data support for the prescription of acupoint clinically.MethodsThe four database such as cnki (CNKI), PubMed result NCBI (VIP), Wan fang and the Chinese Biomedical database (CBM) were searched. All the inclusion criteria of evaluation of treatment of nerve root-type cervical spondylopathy by acupuncture were added. Title or keyword search of "acupuncture","cervical Radiculopathy" and "nerve root type" were included.Full-text retrieval in the context of "random" was traced up to March2012. NoteExpress2was used to manage the research documents. Comparative analysis of statistical results, summarization of the selection laws of acupoint for the treatment of nerve root-type cervical spondylopathy; efficacy of prescription of acupuncture and specific points of acupuncture were analyzed.ResultIn the treatment of nerve root type cervical spondylosis by acupuncture, the acupoints involved14meridians. It was recorded that there were89acupoints in "Yang" meridian, it appeared1383times. There were20acupoints in "Yin" meridian and it appeared50times. Thus it was shown that nerve root type cervical spondylosis has a closer relationship with "Yang" meridian.In the treatment of nerve root type cervical disease by acupuncture, there are12acupoints that were frequently used in which neck Jiaji,(EX-B2) was applied mostly for up to a total of198times. The second frequently used one was Quchi (LI11) for up to129times; then, Waiguan (TE5) for up to124times; Fengchi (GB20) for116times, Hegu (LI4) for114times, Houxi (SI3) for94times, Jianjing (GB21) for88times, Dazhui (GV14) for85times, Tianzong (SI11) for.78times, Jianyu (LI15) for77times, Ashi points for52times and Tianzhu (BL10) for51times.There are18pieces of literature mentioning the use of single acupoint in the treatment of nerve root type cervical spondylosis,13of which related to the use of cervical jiaji acupoint. It should be noted that the cervical jiaji point contains a group of acupoints. For statistical purpose, it is described as a single point. But in the research articles, it may contain several acupoints. Other single acupoints include Houxi (SI3), Xuanzhong (GB39), Ashi, Tianzong (SI11), Shuitu and neck pain points, and so on. Single acupoint acupuncture would be done primarily by acupoint injection. Among these18articles, there was a total of11articles mentioning acupoint injection; as for normal acupuncture and electro-acupuncture there were3articles and1article mentions warm acupuncture. In the research studies of matching of acupoint, the commonly used acupoint was cervical Jiaji (EX-B2) which was recorded36times. The next commonly used one was Fengchi (GB20) which was recorded18times; then was Ashi acupoints which was recorded14times; Dazhui(GV14) for13times, Houxi (SI3) for11times, Tianzhu (BL10) for10times, Jianjing (GB21) for8times, BaiLao for7times, Dazhu (BL11) for6times, Hegu (LI4) for4times, Shenmai (BL62), and Lieque (LU7), and Jianzhongshu (S115), and Tian ding (SI117) for3times, Waiguan (SJ5), Yanglao (SI6), Jianyu (SI15) for2times, Baihui (GV20), Xinshe, Quchi (LI11), Tianliao (SJ15), Tian ron (SI17), Tian chuang (SI16), Wangu (GB12) for3times, Kun lun (BL60), Jiaji, Zhengji-point and Pingzheong-point for1time. Points selection is mainly based on syndrome differentiation, meridian differentiation, disease differentiation and anatomy differentiation. A few articles mentioned combination of two modalities. Among all the modalities, point selection according to syndrome differentiation was commonly used which was mentioned by22articles. The next commonly used method was point selection according to disease differentiation which was mentioned by11articles; then, point selection according to meridian differentiation which was reported in8articles and anatomy differentiation was reported by3articles. Besides, there were combination of diseases differentiation, meridian differentiation and syndrome differentiation. As for the statistics of needle technique, the use of common needle was the most. It was recorded in123articles. The next commonly used one was electrical needle. It was reported56times. Acupoint injection was reported for34times. Warm acupuncture, vacuum cupping, acupuncture of meridian, fire needle and needle knife were reported for6times. Skin needle was reported for4times. Moxibustion and guasha therapy were reported for3times and catgut embedding therapy for one time. As for the special treatment method, abdominal acupuncture application was commonly used. It was reported in17articles. It was followed by balance acupuncture which was mentioned in10articles.Other methods such as ear acupuncture, heat sensitivity moxibustion and bee-needling, were mentioned though the coverage was small.Conclusion1. In the treatment of nerve root type cervical spondylosis by acupuncture, the Yang meridians acupoints were used mostly. The commonly-used acupoints included cervical neck Jiaji (EX-B2), Quchi (LI11), Waiguan (TE5), Gegu (LI4), Houxi (SI3), Jianjing (GB21), Dazhui (GV14), Tianzong (SI11), Jianyu (LI15), Ashi-point, and Tianshu (BL10).2. In the treatment of nerve root type cervical spondylosis by single point acupuncture, the cervical Jiaji (EX-B2) was mostly chosen and single acupoint injection was commonly performed.3. As for the acupoint selection, it was divided into local, adjacent and distal acupoint selection. Among them, local acupoint selection was commonly applied and cervical neck Jiaji (EX-B2) was commonly chosen. Methods of acupoint combination included syndrome differentiation, meridian differentiation, disease differentiation and anatomy differentiation.4. Common needling and electrical needling were the main techniques. They were applied in acupoint injection, warm acupuncture, meridian acupuncture, cupping, fire-needle, needle knife, skin-acupuncture, moxibustion, guasha, catgut embedding therapy, etc.