vertigo

A new study concludes that acupuncture effectively treats vertigo caused by a disorder of the neck.

 

Researchers made an interesting discovery during the study. Two phenomena occurred simultaneously as a result of acupuncture treatments. Vertigo decreased and blood supply to the vertebral arteries improved significantly.

Researchers investigated the effects of acupuncture on patients with cervical spondylosis, a degenerative condition of the neck between the bodies of the vertebrae. Acupuncture was applied to acupuncture points on the abdomen: CV12 (Zhongwan), CV6 (Qihai), CV4 (Guanyuan), CV10 (Xiawan), KI17 (Shangqu), ST24 (Huaroumen). Acupuncture was administered at a rate of once per day for five days.

Color ultrasonography was used to measure variations in blood flow to the cervical arteries. Significant improvements were measured in vertebral artery diameter and blood flow rate. The blood flow rate improved in both mean velocity and flow per minute. The researchers concluded that this acupuncture point prescription in the abdominal region relieves clinical symptoms of cervical spondylosis, including vertigo, and improves arterial blood supply.

A similar study found acupuncture effective in the treatment of cervical spondylosis. This condition often results in a variety of symptoms including pain, numbness and weakness of the limbs. The researchers compared two approaches to determine if one was a more effective acupuncture treatment protocol than the other.

The patients in group A received a three pronged approach to care. First, they were needled at acupuncture points Bailao (Ex-HN15), Ht7 (Shenmen) and SI4 (Wangu). Following stage one acupuncture, they received moxibustion treatment at GV14 (Dazhui), UB15 (Xinshu) and UB23 (Shenshu). The final stage of the acupuncture treatment protocol employed intradermal acupuncture needling at Bailao (Ex-HN15), UB15 and UB23. Group B received a distinctly different treatment regime. First, they received acupuncture at Bailao and TB3 (Zhongzhu). In a second and final prong of care, they received intradermal acupuncture needling at Bailao and SI15. Some interesting data resulted from the comparison.

Group A and Group B demonstrated clinically significant improvements as a result of the applied acupuncture treatment protocols. However, one group showed a significant spike in efficaciousness for patients over the age of 45. Group A was found to demonstrate clinically superior efficaciousness for that age segment. As a result, the researchers suggest that patients over 45 years of age received the group A protocol for the treatment of chronic cervical spondylosis over the group B protocol.

Reference:
Ai, Z., G. D. Liu, X. C. Xiong, and F. B. Hou. “[Impacts on vertebral arterial blood flow of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type treated by abdominal acupuncture].” Zhongguo zhen jiu= Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion 33, no. 7 (2013): 601-604.

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2012 Sep;32(9):769-75. [Chronic neck pain of cervical spondylosis treated with acupuncture and moxibustion in terms of the heart and kidney theory: a randomized controlled trial]. Xu SJ, Liang ZH, Fu WB. Acupuncture-Moxibustion Department of Guangdong Hospital of TCM, Guangzhou, China.

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