Cervical spondylosis, also known as cervical syndrome, is a general term for cervical osteoarthritis, proliferative cervical spondylitis, cervical radicular syndrome and cervical intervertebral disc herniation. It is a clinical syndrome based on degenerative pathological changes of the cervical vertebrae, which eventually causes compression of the cervical spinal cord, nerve roots or vertebral arteries, accompanied by a series of related dysfunctions.
The disease has a high incidence among people aged 40 to 60. Those who work at a desk for a long time or maintain poor sleeping postures are susceptible to cervical spondylosis.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this disease falls into the category of cervical bi syndrome.
TCM holds that cervical spondylosis results from liver and kidney deficiency and deterioration of tendons and bones, combined with chronic cumulative strain. These conditions lead to loose interstitial spaces, insufficient qi and blood, and malnutrition of tendons and bones. In addition, invasion of wind, cold and damp pathogens blocks the meridians and collaterals; or trauma and sprain cause qi stagnation and blood stasis, bringing about pain due to blocked circulation.
Flying Needle Therapy I for Cervical Spondylosis
Stimulation Areas
Mid-nuchal line, lateral nuchal lines.
- For concurrent shoulder and back pain: Add the shoulder segment and hand segment of the hand taiyang muscle tendon.
- For headache and dizziness: Add mid-parietal line, mid-occipital line and retroauricular line.
- For nausea and vomiting: Add hand jueyin line and upper abdominal stimulation area.
- For pain along the governor vessel and bladder meridian distribution areas: Add mid-dorsal line and bladder meridian line.
- For radial-sided pain and numbness of the upper limb: Add hand yangming line and hand taiyin line.
- For ulnar-sided pain and numbness of the upper limb: Add hand taiyang line and hand shaoyin line.
- For middle-sided pain and numbness of the upper limb: Add hand shaoyang line and hand jueyin line.
- For cervical-type cervical spondylosis: Add para-occipital line 1, para-occipital line 2 and upper thoracic segment of dorsal line 1.
- For radicular-type cervical spondylosis: Add upper limb segment of hand taiyang muscle tendon and upper limb segment of hand yangming muscle tendon.
- For vertebral artery-type cervical spondylosis: Add foot segment of bladder meridian muscle tendon, para-occipital line 1 and periauricular line.
- For myelopathic-type cervical spondylosis: Add mid-dorsal line, lower limb segment of foot yangming muscle tendon and lower limb segment of bladder meridian muscle tendon.
- For sympathetic-type cervical spondylosis: Add mid-parietal line, hand jueyin line and foot yin line.
Needle Selection
Round-sharp needles, cluster needles.
Operating Procedures
Apply flying needle therapy with round-sharp needles to the following lines: mid-nuchal line, lateral nuchal lines, mid-parietal line, mid-occipital line, para-occipital line 1, para-occipital line 2, periauricular line, mid-dorsal line, dorsal line 1, retroauricular line, hand taiyin line, hand jueyin line, hand shaoyin line, hand yangming line, hand shaoyang line, hand taiyang line, bladder meridian line, foot yangming line and foot yin line.
Apply flying needle therapy with cluster needles to the remaining areas.
Flying Needle Therapy II for Cervical Spondylosis
Stimulation Areas
Cervical paravertebral stimulation lines.
- Wind-cold-damp type: Add hand yangming line and upper thoracic segment of dorsal stimulation area.
- Qi stagnation and blood stasis type: Add Dazhui (GV14) and Quchi (LI11).
- Phlegm-damp obstructing collaterals type: Add mid-parietal line, lateral frontal line 3 and upper abdominal stimulation area.
- Liver and kidney insufficiency type: Add foot yin line, lower thoracic segment of dorsal line 1 and lateral lumbar line 1.
- Qi deficiency type: Add mid-thoracic line and lower abdominal midline.
- Blood deficiency type: Add foot yangming line and upper abdominal midline.
Needle Selection
Round-sharp needles, cluster needles, three-edged needles.
Operating Procedures
Apply flying needle therapy with round-sharp needles to cervical paravertebral stimulation lines, hand yangming line, mid-parietal line, lateral frontal line 3, foot yin line, dorsal line 1, mid-thoracic line and abdominal midline.
Apply flying needle therapy with cluster needles to dorsal stimulation area and upper abdominal stimulation area.
Adopt pricking blood therapy with three-edged needles at Dazhui (GV14) and Quchi (LI11).