Therapeutic effect of the combination of Tiaodu Lijin acupuncture therapy and Lijin reduction tuina manipulation in treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.

To explore the therapeutic effect of the combined measures of Tiaodu Lijin acupuncture therapy (for regulating the governor vessel and tendons) and Lijin reduction tuina manipulation (for regulating tendons and reduction) in treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). From August 2021 to December 2023, 160 CSR patients were selected and randomly divided into a control group (80 cases) and a trial group (80 cases) using a random number table method. In the control group, the conventional acupuncture and Lijin reduction tuina manipulation were operated, and in the trial group, Tiaodu Lijin acupuncture therapy and Lijin reduction tuina manipulation were combined. The treatment was delivered once daily in each group, 5 interventions a week and lasted for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the score of clinical assessment scale of cervical spondylosis (CASCS), cervical dysfunction index (NDI) and the score of visual analog scale (VAS) were compared in the two groups. Using ELISA, the contents of interleukin (IL)-6, leukotriene D4 (LTD4), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the serum were detected. Transcranial color Doppler ultrasound was used to detect the mean peak velocity (VM), resistance index (RI) and pulsation index (PI) of vertebral-basilar artery at systole. The effective rate was calculated in the two groups. Every indicator after treatment was improved in comparison with that before treatment in each group (P<0.05). After 4-week treatment, compared with the control group, NDI and VAS scores were lower (P<0.05), and the serum contents of IL-6, LTD4, TNF-α and CRP were reduced (P<0.05), RI and PI of vertebral-basilar artery were lower (P<0.05), and CASCS score and VM were higher (P<0.05) in the trial group. The overall effective rate in the trial group (95.00%, 76/80) was higher (P<0.05) than that (81.25%, 65/80) in the control group. The combined measures of Tiaodu Lijin acupuncture therapy and Lijin reduction tuina manipulation obtain the satisfactory therapeutic effect on CSR, which alleviates pain, reduces inflammatory indicators and improves vertebral basilar arterial blood flow and cervical spine function.