Ko Il-Hwan, Lee Yoon Jae, Ha In-Hyuk, Lee Ye-Seul
Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Jul 4;104(27):e43085. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000043085.
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most prevalent spinal cord impairment among adults, primarily due to age-related degenerative changes. Although surgical interventions are commonly recommended for severe cases, the optimal timing and procedural complexities remain controversial. Evidence supporting the efficacy of Korean medicine (KM) as a treatment alternative for CSM is currently limited.
This report details 2 cases involving middle-aged Korean patients presenting with significant neck pain, upper extremity numbness, and muscle weakness. Case 1 involved a 50-year-old male (172 cm, 80 kg) experiencing left arm numbness, muscle weakness, and neck pain persisting for 3 months. Case 2 involved a 51-year-old male (182 cm, 85 kg) with persistent right arm and neck symptoms for 12 months.
Both patients were diagnosed with cervical compressive myelopathy associated with herniated intervertebral disc - Case 1 at cervical levels C4-C6 and Case 2 at cervical levels C6-C7.
Patients received integrated KM treatments, including acupuncture, pharmacopuncture (particularly Shinbaro pharmacopuncture), herbal medicine, and Chuna manual therapy.
Both patients exhibited significant improvements in neck and arm pain, assessed via numeric rating scales. Additionally, manual muscle testing indicated notable enhancements in triceps brachii muscle strength.
The reported cases highlight KM treatment as a promising nonsurgical alternative for managing mild to moderate CSM, particularly in patients reluctant or unsuitable for surgery. KM treatments showed efficacy in improving pain, numbness, and muscular strength. Further rigorous studies are necessary to evaluate and confirm the broader applicability and effectiveness of KM approaches for CSM management.
脊髓型颈椎病（CSM）是成年人中最常见的脊髓损伤，主要归因于与年龄相关的退行性变化。尽管对于严重病例通常建议进行手术干预，但最佳时机和手术复杂性仍存在争议。目前，支持韩医学（KM）作为CSM治疗替代方案有效性的证据有限。
本报告详细介绍了2例韩国中年患者，他们表现出明显的颈部疼痛、上肢麻木和肌肉无力。病例1为一名50岁男性（身高172厘米，体重80千克），左臂麻木、肌肉无力和颈部疼痛持续3个月。病例2为一名51岁男性（身高182厘米，体重85千克），右臂和颈部症状持续12个月。
两名患者均被诊断为与椎间盘突出相关的颈椎压迫性脊髓病——病例1为C4 - C6颈椎节段，病例2为C6 - C7颈椎节段。
患者接受了综合韩医学治疗，包括针灸、药针（特别是新波药针）、草药和推拿手法治疗。
通过数字评分量表评估，两名患者的颈部和手臂疼痛均有显著改善。此外，徒手肌力测试表明肱三头肌肌力有明显增强。
报告的病例突出了韩医学治疗作为管理轻度至中度CSM的一种有前景的非手术替代方法，特别是对于不愿或不适合手术的患者。韩医学治疗在改善疼痛、麻木和肌肉力量方面显示出疗效。需要进一步进行严格研究，以评估和确认韩医学方法在CSM管理中的更广泛适用性和有效性。
