Objective: To observe the effectiveness of acupuncture applied to the cervical region of patients with upper extremity radicular symptoms due to cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR).
Methods: 15 subjects diagnosed with CSR and with upper extremity pain and/or paraesthesiae for 13.1±18.0 months were selected. The 15 patients had 16 affected limbs and scored a total of 17 symptom scores of pain and/or paraesthesiae. All patients were treated with acupuncture once a week for 4 weeks at up to 10 sites in the cervical paraspinal region centred on the affected area. The severity of the symptoms was recorded using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional evaluation was conducted using a Neck Disability Index (NDI).
Results: A significant reduction over time was seen for both mean VAS (p<0.0001) and NDI (p<0.0001). Changes were still significant at 4-week follow-up. A 50% reduction in symptoms was scored for 15 of the 17 symptoms scored.
Conclusions: Favourable results were seen in nearly 90% of cases. These results show that acupuncture treatment to the cervical region may be effective as a conservative therapy for treating CSR.
Keywords: Acupuncture; Complementary Medicine; Pain Management.