OBJECTIVETo probe into clinical value of the acupuncture-massage comprehensive program for treatment of cervical spondylosis of arterial type (CSA).

METHODSBy using three-center, single-blind, randomized, controlled method, the eligible subjects were randomly divided into an acupuncture-massage group, an acupuncture group, a massage group, 60 cases in each group. They were treated with acupuncture-massage comprehensive program, simple acupuncture and simple massage, respectively. And multiple-dimensional indexes were established to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety.

RESULTSThe baselines of the general data were no different among the 3 groups. The cured-markedly effective and the effective rate were 68.3% and 88.3% in the acupuncture-massage group, 51.7% and 75.0% in the acupuncture group, and 50.0% and 76.7% in the massage group, respectively, the acupuncture-massage group being better than the other 2 groups (P<0.05); after treatment, the total cumulative scores for symptoms in the 3 groups decreased significantly (all P<0.01), the acupuncture-massage group being superior to the other 2 groups (P<0.05); and the physical signs in the 3 groups improved significantly (P<0.01), with no significant differences among the 3 groups (P>0.05); the time inducing the effect in the acupuncture-massage group was shorter than that in the other 2 groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and no adverse effects were found in the 3 groups.

CONCLUSIONThis acupuncture-massage comprehensive therapy has a definite therapeutic effect on CSA with safety, and it is of superiority as compared with the simple acupuncture or the simple massage.