Clinical efficacy of Ruyi Zhenbao Pill combined with supine traction manipulation in the treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy

Abstract

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of Ruyi Zhenbao Pill (RZP) combined with supine traction manipulation in the treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy (CSR).

Methodology: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Cangnan County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Zhejiang Province and included medical records of 144 patients with CSR who received treatment between May 2023 to May 2025. Based on treatment modality, and prespecified baseline characteristics, patients were selected to form two comparable groups with a 1:1 group allocation ratio (treated with oral RZP combined with supine traction manipulation) and a control group (treated with oral celecoxib capsules combined with maxillo-occipital traction). Odom’s clinical efficacy criteria were used to evaluate the clinical outcome.

Results: At three months after treatment completion, the primary outcome, the excellent and good clinical effect rate, was higher in the observation group than in the control group (83.3% vs. 68.1%, P=0.033).

Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort, RZP combined with supine traction manipulation was associated with favorable short-term clinical outcomes compared with celecoxib combined with sitting maxillo-occipital traction.