Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment for Neck Pain and Cervical Disc Disease: A Retrospective Study in 42 Dogs

Abstract

Cervical intervertebral disc disease accounts for 12.9-25% incidence of intervertebral diseases in dogs. This retrospective cohort study compared the efficacy of conventional treatment to traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) for neck pain and/or cervical disc disease (CDD). Medical records were collected on 42 dogs that exhibited one or more of the following clinical signs: cervical pain, cervical stiffness, decreased range of motion of neck, hemiparesis or tetraparesis. Qualified cases were classified into a TCVM Treatment Group (n=31) using acupuncture/Chinese herbal medicine or a Control Treatment Group (n=11) using corticosteroids/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). For each subject, assessment scores in cervical pain, stiffness, range of motion, neurological deficits and front limb lameness before and after 4 treatments were reviewed. The sum of all 5 clinical scores (overall improvement) was used as the final treatment outcome measurement for group comparisons. No statistically significant group differences were found in sex, age, weight and pre-treatment overall clinical score (p>0.05). The Control Group had an overall pre-treatment score (M±SD) of 8.36±3.07, which significantly improved (decreased) to 4.91±3.73 after completing the treatments (p=0.006). The TCVM Group’s overall score (M±SD) improved from 9.39±3.13 to 1.23±0.72 (p=9.3×10-10). The improvement in the TCVM Group was significantly greater than the Control Group (p=0.00004). The results from this retrospective study suggest that, while both treatment schemes can improve clinical signs of cervical pain and/or cervical disc disease in dogs, the TCVM treatment has the potential for superiority to conventional medical treatment.