A Case Report of Cervical Myelopathy Caused by Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: Focusing on Warm Needling Therapy

Abstract

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of warm needling therapy in a patient with cervical myelopathy caused by ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament. Methods : A 53-year-old Korean male patient diagnosed with cervical myelopathy due to ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament was treated with warm needling therapy on posterior neck aside from the routine inpatient treatment from June 26th to July 16th. Clinical improvement was evaluated with visual analogue scale(VAS), Japanese orthopedic score(JOA), grip and release test, finger escape sign and patient satisfaction was measured using a five-point Likert scale. Results : After 21 days of treatment, the patient showed improvement in VAS, JOA, grip and release test and finger escape sign. The patient also expressed satisfaction with the treatment. Conclusions : The results suggest that warm needling therapy may be an effective additional treatment for cervical myelopathy and other symptoms related to ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament(OPLL). Further studies should be carried out regarding possible long-lasting effects.

Warm Needling Treatment in Korea: A Literature Review

“…A patient with myelopathy by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament was treated by Lee et al [32] in 2014. Pre-made moxa sticks were used twice per acupoint.…”

“…Various English and Korean terms of "warm needling" (in Korean; 온침) were used including "hot acupuncture" [8], "warm acupuncture" [9,10], "warming acupuncture" [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18], "warmingacupuncture" [19], "warm needle" [20][21][22], "warm needling" [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32], "warming needle" [33], "warm-needle" [34], "warm-needling" [35], and "warm needling acupuncture" [36].…”

Integrative Korean medicine as a possible conservative treatment for mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy

“…The NRS of dysesthesia of the hand decreased from 5 to 2 (Table 1 ). [ 9 – 11 ] MRI of C-spine showed no aggravation of lesion compared with baseline MRI. He maintained similar KM treatment twice a month at an outpatient clinic after discharge.…”

Complex Acupuncture Treatment for Cervical Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: Case Report of Two Patients

“…Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) causes posterior longitudinal ligament to lose its elasticity and narrows the spinal canal, creating neurological symptoms [1]. Symptoms of OPLL range from simple cervical pain to radiculopathies such as paresthesia in the hand, pain in the upper extremities, pain in the neck and scapula, and myelopathies such as weakness in the lower extremities, gait disorders, and difficulty in urinating, which can manifest as compression of the spinal cord [2].…”

“…Surgical treatment is recommended for patients diagnosed with myelopathy on MRI because of advanced neurological symptoms. Surgical treatments consist of anterior decompression, which directly removes the ossified part, and posterior decompression, which indirectly results in the decompression effect [2][3][4]. Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) treatment includes acupuncture, chuna therapy, and herbal medicine.…”