Clinical Research in 92 Cases On Cervical spondylosis Treated by Massage combined with practicing Qigong

Objective: To try to investigate the effect of Tuina combined with Qigong in treating cervical spondylosis.
Methods: According to the double-blind principle, the study was carried out in 92 cervical spondylopathy outpatients, 16-72 years, being diagnosed in light of symptoms, physical sign and cervical vertebrae X-ray. The patients were divided randomly into three groups: Qigong group (23 males, 11 females, 29~64 years old with the average age 43.5, practicing Qigong according to neck and nape qigong, twice per day 20~40 minutes per time), massage group (16 males, 14 females 26~69 years old with the average age 42.7, simple be treated by manipulation of massage including relax locality, rotation reposition and traction), observation group (17 males ,11 females 19~72 years old with the average age 39.8, massage associated with Qigong).
The neck and nape qigong include 7 sections: Qi was regulated in the first and the last sections, all direction movements and resistant power exercise of the neck was performed with breath adjustment in another five sections.
The effect was evaluated by the criterion established in the national congress of cervical spondylosis in 1984.
Results:
1. The subjects of the observation group received treatment 2~23 times, with the average time 13.7; while the subjects of massage group 4~39, 19.6; the subjects of Qigong group 18~51, 28.3.
2. According to the criterion, 32 cases (94.43%) of the observation group show more than significant effect, while 18 cases (64.29%) and 21cases (70.00%) in the Qigong group and massage group in turn, which showed very significant difference between the observation group and the Qigong group (chi square test 6.95 p<0.01) and significant difference between the observation group and the massage group(chi square test 4.92 p<0.05).
3. The subjects who showed more than significant effect were followed for two years. 5 cases (15.62%) of the observation group recurred with slight symptoms one year ago because of stopping practicing Qigong for more than 3 months. While 3 cases of the massage group recurred after half a year and 7 cases (33.33%) recurred with serious symptoms one year ago.
Conclusion:
The length of massage treatment was shorter than that of Qigong treatment but longer than complex one.
2. A conclusion could be drawn from the result that the complex therapy, massage combined with Qigong, was good to the patients with cervical spondylopathy.
It seemed that the effect of Qigong treatment was longer and steadier than massage treatment.