OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of warm acupuncture combined with stereo-dynamic interferential electrotherapy in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) and its effect on hemodynamics. METHOD(S): A total of 126 patients with CSR, including 67 males and 59 females, with an average age of 49.33 +/- 8.34 years, were randomly divided into three groups, namely the warm acupuncture group, the stereo-dynamic interferential electrotherapy group and the combined treatment group, with 42 cases in each group. The combined treatment group was treated with warm acupuncture and stereo-dynamic interferential electrotherapy. The clinical efficacy, visual analogue score (VAS) and cervical dysfunction index NDI (Neck Disability Index) were compared among the three groups. The hemodynamic indexes of vertebral artery, including diameter, velocity and flow were measured by color Doppler ultrasound. The serum contents of endothelin (ET) and nitric oxide (NO) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULT(S): The total effective rate of the combined treatment group was higher than that of the warm acupuncture group and the stereo-dynamic interferential electrotherapy group (p < 0.05). After treatment, the VAS and NDI scores in the combined treatment group were the lowest (p < 0.05), while the vertebral artery diameter, blood flow velocity and blood flow were all the highest among the three groups (p < 0.05). Compared with the warm acupuncture group and the stereo-dynamic interferential electrotherapy group, the serum ET content of the combined treatment group after treatment was decreased (p < 0.05), and the serum NO content was increased (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION(S): Warm acupuncture combined with stereo-dynamic interferential electrotherapy has a better therapeutic effect on CSR and can improve hemodynamics.

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