[Acupuncture combined with therapy for stiff neck with levator scapula injury type: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with therapy for stiff neck with levator scapula injury type.

Methods: A total of 162 patients with stiff neck of levator scapula injury type were randomly divided into an acupuncture combined with tuina group (combined group, 52 patients), a tuina group (55 patients), and an acupuncture group (55 patients). The patients in the acupuncture group received acupuncture on the affected side's Houxi (SI 3), inserting the needle 10 to 20 mm towards Laogong (PC 8) with strong or moderate stimulation, and patients were instructed to move their neck, shoulders, and upper limbs during the process, with the needle retained for 2 to 3 min. The patients in the tuina group received strong stimulation pressing on tender points to release the starting and ending points of the trapezius muscle with modified techniques. The combined group first received therapy, followed immediately by acupuncture treatment at the Houxi (SI 3). Treatments were administered every other day for a total of three sessions. Before treatment and on 1, 3, and 7 days after treatment, the simple McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) scores [including the pain rating index (PRI), visual analogue scale (VAS), and present pain intensity (PPI) scores] of the head, neck and shoulder, cervical spine mobility scores were observed, and the clinical efficacy and safety of each group were evaluated.

Results: On the 1, 3, and 7 days after treatment, the SF-MPQ, PRI, VAS, and PPI scores of the head, neck, and shoulder in all groups were significantly reduced (<0.01). On the 1 and 3 days after treatment, the above scores in the combined group were lower than those in the tuina group and the acupuncture group (<0.05, <0.01). On the 7 days after treatment, the above scores in the combined group were lower than those in the acupuncture group (<0.01). On the 3 days after treatment, the SF-MPQ, PRI, and VAS scores in the tuina group were lower than those in the acupuncture group (<0.01). On the 7 days after treatment, the SF-MPQ, PRI, VAS, and PPI scores in the tuina group were lower than those in the acupuncture group (<0.01, <0.05). On the 1, 3, and 7 days after treatment, the cervical spine mobility scores in each group were decreased compared to those before treatment (<0.01). On the 3 days after treatment, the cervical spine mobility score in the combined group was lower than that in the acupuncture group and the tuina group (<0.01). On the 1, 3, and 7 days after treatment, the cured rate in the combined group was higher than that in the tuina group and the acupuncture group (<0.01). During the treatment period, no serious adverse reactions occurred in any group.

Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with therapy could effectively improve stiff neck with levator scapula injury type, alleviate patient pain, restore cervical spine mobility, and clinically outperform both and acupuncture therapy alone.