[Effect of needle-knife as adjunctive therapy on dry eye syndrome]

To observe the clinical effect of needle-knife at cervical spine area as adjunctive therapy on dry eye syndrome.

A total of 84 patients with dry eye syndrome were randomized into 3 groups, named group A, group B and group C, 28 cases in each one (1 case dropped off in the group A, 2 cases dropped off in both group B and C). In the group A, needle-knife was applied at the margo inferior of external occipital protuberance, the range of 4 cm bilateral to external occipital protuberance, the spinous process of C₂, the range of 3 cm bilateral to 2 cm above C₂ spinous process, the range of 2 cm bilateral to C₂, C₄, C₆ spinous process for once a week; acupuncture was applied at Jingming (BL 1), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3), Yanglao (SI 6), Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23), etc. for once a day, 6 times a week; sodium hyaluronate eye drop was given one drop once, 5-6 times a day. Treatment of acupuncture and sodium hyaluronate eye drop was given in the group B, sodium hyaluronate eye drop was given in the group C, the acupoints selection and the manipulation of acupuncture, the dosage of sodium hyaluronate eye drop were the same as the group A. One week was as one course and 3 courses were required in the 3 groups. SchirmerⅠtest (SⅠT), break-up time (BUT), scores of corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) and eye symptom before and after treatment were observed, the clinical effect was evaluated in the 3 groups.

SⅠT was increased, BUT was prolonged, scores of CFS and eye symptom were reduced after treatment in the group A and group B (P<0.01); scores of CFS and eye symptom were reduced after treatment in the group C (P<0.01). The variations of SⅠT, BUT and the scores of CFS and eye symptom in the group A were greater than those in the group B and the group C (P<0.01); the variations of above indexes in the group B were greater than those in the group C (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total effective rate was 94.4% (51/54) in the group A, which was superior to 78.8% (41/52) in the group B and 48.1% (25/52) in the group C (P<0.01), and the total effective rate in the group B was superior to the group C (P<0.01).

Needle-knife at cervical spine area as adjunctive therapy can relieve the clinical symptoms and improve the function of lacrimal gland in patients with dry eye syndrome.