Shan Yunping, Zhang Juan, Ma Yinhua, Zhang Yiming
Department of Pain Treatment, Hangzhou Fuyang Hospital of TCM Orthopedics and Traumatology Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Department of Pain Treatment, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of TCM Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Am J Transl Res. 2023 Jun 15;15(6):4246-4254. eCollection 2023.
To investigate the effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture combined with western medicine in the treatment of neck, shoulder, lumbar and leg pain and its influence on the degree of pain, motor functions and inflammatory factor levels.
In this retrospective study, 86 patients with neck, shoulder, lumbar and leg pain treated in Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hangzhou Fuyang Hospital of TCM from June 2019 to June 2022 were selected as the study subjects. According to different treatment methods, these patients were divided into an observation group (n=43) and a control group (n=43). Patients from the control group were treated with conventional western medicine, while those from the observation group were treated with combination of traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture (Acupuncture + Fumigation with Collaterals-Dredging Decoction) and western medicine. Patients in both groups were treated for 4 weeks continuously. The treatment effect, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, limb motor function scale (Fugl-Meyer) score, cervical function score, daily living ability score, the levels of inflammatory factors including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were recorded and compared between two groups.
The effective rate of patients in the observation group was 93.02%, which was significantly higher than 76.74% in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the term of Fugl-Meyer score, VAS score and levels of inflammatory factors before treatment between two groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, the VAS score and the levels of IL-6, TNF-α and CRP in both of groups significantly decreased in contrast to before treatment. The Fugl-Meyer score after treatment in both of groups was significantly increased in contrast to before treatment. Compared with those after treatment in control group, the VAS score and the levels of IL-6, TNF-α and CRP after treatment in the observation group were obviously lower, while the Fugl-Meyer score in the observation group was significantly higher (all P<0.05).
TCM acupuncture combined with western medicine has a good therapeutic effect on neck, shoulder, lumbar and leg pains, which can effectively relieve the pain, improve motor function and reduce the inflammatory reactions in patients. The combined treatment has clinical application values and is worth promoting.
探讨中医针灸联合西医治疗颈肩腰腿痛的效果及其对疼痛程度、运动功能和炎症因子水平的影响。
本回顾性研究选取2019年6月至2022年6月在杭州市富阳中医骨伤科医院治疗的86例颈肩腰腿痛患者作为研究对象。根据治疗方法不同，将这些患者分为观察组（n = 43）和对照组（n = 43）。对照组患者采用常规西医治疗，观察组患者采用中医针灸（针刺 + 通络熏洗方熏蒸）联合西医治疗。两组患者均连续治疗4周。记录并比较两组的治疗效果、视觉模拟评分（VAS）、肢体运动功能量表（Fugl - Meyer）评分、颈椎功能评分、日常生活能力评分以及炎症因子白细胞介素 - 6（IL - 6）、肿瘤坏死因子 -α（TNF -α）和C反应蛋白（CRP）水平。
观察组患者的有效率为93.02%，显著高于对照组的76.74%（P < 0.05）。两组治疗前Fugl - Meyer评分、VAS评分及炎症因子水平比较，差异均无统计学意义（均P > 0.05）。治疗后，两组VAS评分及IL - 6、TNF -α、CRP水平均较治疗前显著降低，两组治疗后Fugl - Meyer评分均较治疗前显著升高。与对照组治疗后比较，观察组治疗后VAS评分及IL - 6、TNF -α、CRP水平明显更低，而观察组Fugl - Meyer评分显著更高（均P < 0.05）。
中医针灸联合西医治疗颈肩腰腿痛疗效良好，能有效缓解患者疼痛，改善运动功能，减轻炎症反应。该联合治疗具有临床应用价值，值得推广。
