In the traditional view, cervical spondylosis is a disease that only afflicts people in their old age. However, due to changes in modern lifestyles and increased use of smartphones and computers, the incidence of cervical spondylosis is becoming more common among younger populations, with an increasing number of patients aged between 20 and 40 seen at clinics. The prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis have become a significant health concern for society.
Cervical spondylosis, also known as cervical syndrome, primarily results from long-term strain on the cervical vertebrae, bone hyperplasia, or herniation of intervertebral discs, leading to compression of the spinal cord, nerve roots, or vertebral arteries, which in turn causes a series of functional disorders. Clinically, it manifests as discomfort in the head, neck, shoulders, chest, back, and upper and lower limbs. Symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, weakness in the lower limbs, unsteady gait, arrhythmia, and difficulty swallowing.
Traditional Chinese Medicine's Understanding of Cervical Spondylosis
The condition of cervical spondylosis falls under the category of “Bi Syndrome” or “Neck Bi” in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to Su Wen Shi, “Bi” refers to diseases caused by obstruction of qi flow. Therefore, any disease characterized by blockage of qi can be classified as a Bi disease. In Ling Shu Jing Jin, twelve types of muscular diseases are collectively named using the character “Bi,” which is another essential component of Bi diseases. Diseases that manifest with symptoms such as pain, coldness, numbness, and motor dysfunction in joints, muscles, and skin due to obstruction of meridians and poor circulation of qi and blood can all be categorized as Bi diseases.
According to TCM, the primary external cause of cervical spondylosis is invasion by wind-cold-dampness or trauma, while the internal cause is deficiency of vital energy and blood, stagnation of blood stasis, and obstruction of meridian qi. These internal and external factors are not independent pathogenic elements but can coexist or transform into one another during the pathological process.
Su Wen Bi Lun Pian states, “When wind, cold, and dampness mix and arrive together, they combine to form Bi syndrome. If wind predominates, it is called traveling Bi; if cold predominates, it is called painful Bi; if dampness predominates, it is called adherent Bi.” Su Wen Xuan Ming Wu Qi Pian says, “Excessive viewing injures the blood, prolonged lying injures the qi, prolonged sitting injures the flesh, prolonged standing injures the bones, and excessive walking injures the tendons—these are the injuries caused by the five labors.” Jin Kui Yao Lue points out, “In people around fifty or sixty years old, if their pulse is large, it indicates Bi syndrome affecting the back… these conditions are all caused by overwork.”
“Eight-Point Neck Acupuncture” Shows Significant Efficacy
There are many methods in TCM for treating cervical spondylosis, including acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, cupping, traction, and internal and external administration of herbal medicines. Traditional treatments are highly effective for cervical and radicular types of cervical spondylosis but less so for other types. “Yang-style Acupuncture,” an important school of Shanghai TCM, has developed the “Eight-Point Neck Acupuncture” therapy through years of clinical experience, which demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating various types of cervical spondylosis.
The “Eight-Point Neck Acupuncture” selects six Ah Shi points located two cun lateral to the second, fourth, and sixth cervical spinous processes on both sides of the neck, along with Ya Men and Da Zui acupoints, making a total of eight points. After needling, manual techniques are applied. Su Wen Gu Kong Lun Pian notes, “When the Governor Vessel is diseased, there is stiffness and backward flexion of the spine.” Both Ya Men and Da Zui belong to the Governor Vessel, which not only invigorates yang qi throughout the body but also promotes the rise of clear yang and fills the marrow sea, leading to the guidance of qi and blood to the neck region, thereby improving local obstruction of the meridians. As mentioned in Zhang Shi Yi Tong Jian Bei Teng, “Shoulder and back pain, spinal stiffness, and a sensation of the waist being broken and the neck pulled indicate that the qi of the Foot Taiyang Meridian is not flowing properly.” Jian Ming Yi Gou states that neck stiffness is often caused by invasion of wind-dampness into the Foot Taiyang Meridian: “Neck stiffness and inability to look back and rotate are caused by the invasion of wind-dampness into the Foot Taiyang Meridian.” The main location of cervical spondylosis is in the sinews, which play roles in constraining bones, moving joints, maintaining normal motor functions, and preserving normal postures. The six Ah Shi points are located in common trigger points on the neck and pass through the sinew portion of the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, which warms and nourishes muscles, harmonizes blood flow, and promotes qi movement. Together with Ya Men and Da Zui, they work synergistically to smooth meridian qi, harmonize qi and blood, and replenish brain marrow.
From a Western medical perspective, this method can relieve muscle tension in the neck and back, eliminate local edema and tissue adhesion, and release pressure and irritation on vessels and nerves in the neck, improving the blood supply environment for the vertebral artery as it ascends and merges with the basilar artery in the cranium, enhancing the microcirculation and alleviating ischemia and hypoxia in the neck, thus restoring the biomechanical balance of the cervical vertebrae.
Self-Care Acupoints
For individuals with cervical spondylosis, daily care and self-care are essential. If regular treatment at a hospital is not possible, applying heat to the neck at home or massaging specific acupoints can help alleviate symptoms. Below are several recommended acupoints for self-care in cervical spondylosis.
Wind Pool (Feng Chi) Acupoint
This point is located at the base of the skull, in the depression between the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. It is used to treat dizziness, headache, neck stiffness, and whiplash injury. It can dispel exterior wind and clear the head, as well as eliminate interior wind and soothe the liver and gallbladder, making it a key point for treating wind-related conditions.
Heavenly Pillar (Tian Zhu) Acupoint
This point is located at the posterior region, level with the superior margin of the second cervical spinous process, in the depression lateral to the trapezius muscle. It is used to treat dizziness, headache at the back of the head, neck stiffness, and shoulder and back pain. It has the functions of dispelling wind, clearing the orifices, and relieving pain in the meridians, making it a crucial point for treating neck stiffness and pain.
Great Vertebra (Da Zui) Acupoint
This point is located in the depression below the seventh cervical spinous process. It is the meeting point of all yang meridians and has the functions of releasing the exterior and dispelling wind. It is used to treat various types of cervical spondylosis, inadequate blood supply to the vertebral basilar arteries, and whiplash injuries. Regularly applying heat to the Great Vertebra point can enhance yang qi, warm the meridians, and dispel cold, greatly benefiting the improvement of cervical spondylosis symptoms.
Shoulder Well (Jian Jing) Acupoint
This point is located on the shoulder, at the midpoint of the line connecting Dazhui and the lateral end of the acromion, belonging to the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. It is used to treat whiplash, neck spasms, and pain and stiffness in the shoulder and back. It has the effects of promoting the flow of meridian qi, dispelling wind and clearing heat, and opening the orifices. Massaging the Shoulder Well point with the lifting technique of TCM massage can not only smooth the qi and blood in the head and relieve muscle tension in the neck and shoulder but also regulate the Gallbladder Meridian and smooth Liver qi, helping to improve anxiety in patients with cervical spondylosis.
Daily Preventive Measures
Regarding the prevention of