Three-Needle Dazhui Combined With Electroacupuncture for Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy and Wind-Cold Syndrome: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Controlled Trial Evaluating Pain and Neck Disability
Cervical spondylosis is a prevalent health issue that significantly impacts quality of life, with Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy (CSR) accounting for 60-70% of cases * While modern medicine offers various treatments, the frequent use of painkillers often leads to undesirable side effects * In Traditional Chinese Medicine, electroacupuncture is a safe and effective method recognized by the Ministry of Health for treating this condition * The Three-Needle Dazhui technique is a specialized acupuncture method that simultaneously uses three needles at the Dazhui (GV14) point to strongly activate Yang Qi and dispel cold, making it particularly suitable for the Wind-Cold syndrome. This study aims to evaluate whether the combination of the Three-Needle Dazhui technique and electroacupuncture yields better results in pain reduction and functional improvement compared to electroacupuncture alone in patients with cervical spondylosis and Wind-Cold syndrome.
• Consent: Participants must voluntarily agree to participate and sign a written informed consent form.
• Age: Individuals aged 18 years or older.
• Pain Intensity: Patients with a baseline pain score of VAS ≥ 50 mm on the Visual Analog Scale.
• Modern Medicine Diagnosis (Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy - CSR) Patients must meet the diagnostic criteria for CSR due to cervical spondylosis according to Decision 361/QD-BYT, including:
⁃ Cervical Spine Syndrome: Localized neck pain, restricted range of motion, and tenderness upon palpation of the spinous processes or paravertebral areas.
∙ Radicular Syndrome: Neck pain radiating to the occipital region, shoulder, arm, or hand.
• Physical Examination: At least one positive result from the following tests: Bell-ringer sign, Spurling's test, Shoulder abduction test, or Cervical distraction test.
• Imaging Criteria: X-ray findings (straight, lateral, or 3/4 oblique views) showing at least one of the following:
‣ Osteophytes (bone spurs) on the vertebral body.
⁃ Intervertebral disc space narrowing ≥ 25%.
⁃ Subchondral bone sclerosis.
⁃ Spondylolisthesis. - Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Diagnosis (Wind-Cold Syndrome) Patients must satisfy at least one primary symptom and reach a total symptom score of ≥ 50% based on the following criteria:
• Primary Symptoms: Pain in the neck and shoulder radiating to the arm accompanied by numbness; pain is the dominant feature; pain increases with cold and decreases with warmth.
• Secondary Symptoms: Aversion to cold, aversion to wind, cold extremities, and presence or absence of sweating.
• Tongue and Pulse: Pale tongue with a thin white coating; floating-tight or slow pulse.