Observation on the Curative Effect of Acupuncture At Sensitized Points on Gallbladder Meridian in the Treatment of Neck Type Cervical Spondylopathy

The visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10, with higher scores reflecting more pain, stiffness and poorer physical function of the Cervical. Participants were asked to evaluate their current pain, and the pain nature was marked by X on the line above. 0 was classified as painless and 10 was classified as severe pain. The higher the score, the more obvious the pain.

The measurement result of FDX Force Gauge can quantify pain more objectively in clinical practice. And pressure pain threshold(PPT) at acupoints can be measured more objectively and accurately by FDX Force Gauge. The tester used a hand-held pain threshold test instrument to probe the acupoints.After switching on the machine, the comp peak mode was selected. The unit of measurement result is N.The figure on the display was zeroed before each measurement. The probe (1cm in diameter) was placed vertically on the acupoints of Gallbladder meridian. And the pressure was applied slowly and steadily at a constant speed(at a rate of 5N/s) downwards, and stopped immediately when the subject started to feel pain.The figure on the display is the pain threshold of the acupoint.Every acupoint was measured twice, with a 5-minute break between each measurement session.

The NDI consists of 10 items that cover various aspects of daily life affected by neck pain, including pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headaches, concentration, work, driving, sleeping, and recreational activities.Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicates no disability and 5 represents the worst imaginable disability. The total score ranges from 0 to 50, which can also be expressed as a percentage by multiplying the raw score by 2.

Interpretation of the scores is as follows:

0-4: No disability 5-14: Mild disability 15-24: Moderate disability 25-34: Severe disability Over 34: Complete disability

Subjects take a seated position, head in the middle, shoulders relaxed, both eyes looking straight ahead, forward flexion: normal flexion range of mition is between 35 °and 45 °; backward extension: the normal degree of backward extension is between 35 ° and 45 °; lateral flexion: normal lateral flexion range of mition is 45 °; rotate:the normal degree of rotation is between 60°and 80°. A range of motion instrument (Digital Angle Ruler)will be used to determine cervical spine movements. The device will be placed on the top or side of the head and the patient will be instructed to move the head as far as possible, without experiencing pain, in a standard fashion;right rotation, left rotation, flexion, extension, right lateral flexion and left lateral flexion. Within the range of cervical motion of patients, a larger value indicates a healthier cervical spine, while a smaller value indicates a more serious cervical mobility disorder.

The 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) is a widely used tool designed to assess overall health-related quality of life. It evaluates both physical and mental health domains through 12 questions, providing two composite scores: the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS).Scoring Range:Minimum Score: 0，Maximum Score: 100.Higher Scores: Indicate better health status. Higher PCS and MCS scores suggest better physical and mental well-being, respectively.Lower Scores: Indicate worse health status. Lower scores may suggest significant limitations in daily activities or poorer psychological well-being.