Objective To explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy of wind-cold-damp type and its impacts on the conduction velocity of F wave of median nerve and ulnar nerve

as well as hypersensitive C-responsive protein(hs-CRP)

interleukin 6(IL-6)

IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) in serum. Methods A total of 94 patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy of wind-cold-damp type were randomly divided into a control group and a combined therapy group

47 cases in each group. In the control group

acupuncture was applied to Fengchi(GV20)

Tianzhu(BL10)

Neck-Jiaji(EX-B5)

Dazhui(GV14) and others

30 min each time

once daily

5 times a week

totally for 4 weeks. In the combined therapy group

on the base of the treatment as the control group

the thunder-fire moxibustion was adopted over GV20

EX-B5

GV14

Jianjing(ST21) and Tianzong(SI11)

20 min each time

once every other day

for 4 weeks in total. After the treatment

the curative effect was compared in the patients between two groups. The short-form McGill pain questionnaire(SF-MPQ)

the neck specificity scale and the MOS 36-item short form health survey(SF-36) were scored. The conduction velocity of F wave in median nerve and ulnar nerve was detected by electromyography. The expression of hs-CRP was measured by immunoturbidimetry. IL-6

IL-1β and TNF-α in serum were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results The total effective rate in the combined therapy group was 95.7%(45/47)

which was higher than 80.9%(38/47) in the control group(P<0.05). Compared with their own pretreatment

the scores of SF-MPQ

neck specificity scale and SF-36 were all obviously improved after treatment in the patients of either group(P<0.05)

while the conduction velocity of F wave in median nerve and ulnar nerve was accelerated and hs-CRP

IL-6

IL-1β and TNF-α in serum were decreased(P<0.05). Compared with the control group

the improvements in the scores of SF-MPQ

neck specificity scale and SF-36 were more obvious(P<0.05)

the increase of the conduction velocity of F wave in median nerve and ulnar nerve and the decrease of hs-CRP

IL-6

IL-1β and TNF-α in serum were more remarkable(P<0.05) in the combined therapy group. Conclusion Acupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion relieves the clinical symptoms of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy of wind-cold-damp type.