Clinical observation on the efficacy of ringheaded thumb-tack needle therapy combined with tuina and active functional exercise in the treatment of neck-type cervical spondylosis.

Objectives: To explore the clinical efficacy of acupressure therapy combined with Tuina and active functional exercise in the treatment of neck-type cervical spondylosis.
Methods: Sixty patients with cervical spondylosis were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was treated with Tuina and active functional exercise. Tuina therapy lasted 10-15 min per session, twice a week for 4 weeks. Functional exercises were performed once in the morning and once in the evening, each session lasting about 10 min, for a total of 4 weeks. The experimental group received the same treatment as the control group combined with ringheaded thumb-tack needle therapy which was applied to 5 Ashi points, with needle retention for 3 days followed by 1 day of rest, for a total of 4 weeks. The neck disability index (NDI) and the short-form of McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) including visual analog scale (VAS), present pain intensity (PPI) and pain rating index (PRI) were used before treatment, after 2 weeks and after 4 weeks of treatment. The modified Macnab efficacy evaluation criteria were used to assess treatment outcomes, and safety was also evaluated.
Results: Compared with baseline, both groups showed significant reductions in NDI, VAS, PPI, and PRI scores after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment ( P <0.01). The improvement in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group ( P <0.05). The clinical efficacy rate (excellent and good) was 60.0% (18/30) in the experimental group, compared to 30.0% (9/30) in the control group, with the experimental group showing better clinical outcomes ( P < 0.05). No adverse reactions were reported during the study.
Conclusions: Acupressure therapy combined with Tuina and active functional exercise can effectively improve symptoms such as neck dysfunction and pain in patients with cervical spondylosis with neck syndrome. The addition of acupressure therapy significantly enhances the clinical efficacy of Tuina and functional exercise, with confirmed therapeutic benefits and good safety.