Clinical study on massage in treating cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of combined massage and traction technique in the treatment of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CSA). Methods: Ninety-eight cases of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type were randomized into two groups, a treatment group in which 50 cases were treated by traditional massage and traction technique, and a control group in which 48 cases were treated by traditional massage. Results: After treatment, the mean velocity (Vm) of vertebral artery (VA) and basilar artery (BA) were improved markedly in the treatment group (P<0.05); and there was a significant difference between the two groups after treatment (P<0.01). In the treatment group, 17 cases were cured and 22 cases obviously improved; and the rate of cure and marked effective was 78.0%, the total effective rate was 98.0%. In the control group, 8 cases were cured and 10 cases obviously improved, the rate of cure and marked effective was 37.5% and the total effective rate was 89.6%. There was a significant difference in the rate of cure and marked effective between the two groups (P<0.01). Conclusion: Combined massage and traction technique has better results than single traditional massage in the treatment of CSA. © 2011 Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.