A Randomized Control Led Trial On Efficacy Of The Acupuncture Treatment For Chronic Neck Pain Based On The Heart And Kidney Therapy

ObjectiveTo scientifically evaluate the clinical efficacy of the acupuncture treatment for chronic neck pain based on the Heart and Kidney Therapy.MethodA randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which68patients were recruited and randomly allocated to the treatment group and control group. The Northwick Park Questionnaire for neck pain (NPQ) was applied as primary outcome in the study. The data analysis methods are descriptive analysis, paired t-test or Wilcoxon paired test for within group and between group comparison, and variance analysis, etc. The treatment group was treated on the Heart and Kidney Therapy, and the control group was treated on the conventional therapy. The acupoints of the treatment group are:DU16, HT7, KI3, GV14, BL15, BL23; the acupoints of the control group are:TE3, SI15, EX-HN15, GV14, GB21. The treatment was totally10times for one course and must be completed within4weeks. The evaluation of the research was worked out by the Northwick Park Questionnaire for neck pain (NPQ), the McGill Pain Questionnaire(MPQ) and SF-36(tm) Health Survey(SF-36). And the recording time-points are:pre-treatment, after the fifth time of the treatment, the end-of-treatment, one month after the end-of-treatment and three months after the end-of-treatment. The original data were input with Epidata v3.1simultaneously by two parts and checked for consistency of the database, and then the SPSS18.0software was utilized for data processing. The data was processed with descriptive analysis, pared t-test and χ2est, etc.Results1.The comparison of the baseline between the two groups was presented that the constituent ratios of gender, age, education, syndromes, diagnosis, and disease course etc. were equivalent (P>0.05), which indicted the two groups were consistent and comparable.2.After the treating course, the scores of the three scales(NPQ, MPQ and SF-36) were basically decrease, and the pairwise comparisons analysis suggested that both the treatment of two groups were efficacious (P<0.05). Further more, the scale scores of the control group were lower than the treatment group, with no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05), which showed that there are no diffirences of the overall efficacy between the two groups. But the MPQ score indicated that the late result of the treatment group was superior to the control group(P<0.05).3.By delaminating the age of the patients, the analysis of the scores of NPQ and MPQ scales indicated that the treatment based on the Heart and Kidney Theyapy was superior to the conventional therapy on the patients over45-year-old (P<0.05), when it was contrary on the younger patients. Compaired with the conventional therapy, except the sensibility function and mental health aspect(P>0.05), all other scores of the SF-36scale indicated that patients with the treatment on the Heart and Kidney Theyapy had a better survival quality (P<0.05).Besides, by stratifying the disease course, data analysis suggested that the efficacy of treatment group surpassed the controlled group of the patients who suffered from the disease for more than7years (P<0.05). And analysis of the SF-36scale scores indicated that the Heart and Kidney Therapy could improve the survival index of whom suffered from the disease for more than7years (P<0.05) other than the body pain, sensibility function and mental health aspect(P>0.05).4. Based on the data analysis, both groups had a effective rate over80%, with no significant defferences between them(P>0.05). But the effective rate of the treatment group were higher than the control group on patients who was over45-year-old, and significant differences were found after the statistics test (P<O.05).ConeIusion1. The acupuncture scheme based on the Heart and Kidney Therapy for chronic neck pain caused by Cervical Spondylosis has a effective clinical efficacy correspond to the conventional therapy on the short-term curative effect, when it is superiorer on the long-term efficacy.2. The treatment on the Heart and Kidney Therapy is better than the conventional treatment of the chronic neck pain sufferer over45-year-old and/or suffer from it over7years.3. On the effective rate aspect, over80%atients have had effective treatment on both two therapies, but the Heart and Kidney Therapy is superior when treated the patient who is over45years old.The acupuncture treatment for chronic neck pain based on the Heart and Kidney Therapy should be study furtherer clinically, it is one of the preferred scheme for this disease and worthy of promotion.