Tuina for infant congenital muscular torticollis: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To compare the differences in the clinical effect of congenital muscular torticollis between the modified tuina (Chinese massage) manipulation and the textbook-version tuina manipulation in infant. Methods: From January 2017 to December 2018, 68 infants with congenital muscular torticollis were collected from the Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion of the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University. They were randomized into a modified tuina group and a textbook-version tuina group, 34 cases in each one. In the modified tuina group, the infants were treated with the stroking and circular kneading manipulation, 200 times, the plucking manipulation, 500 times and the modified rolling manipulation, 500 times. In the textbook-version tuina group, the infants were treated with the tuina for muscular torticollis described in Tuina, in the sequence of the circular kneading for 5-6 min, the pinching and grasping for 3-5 min, neck traction for several times, the pushing and circular kneading for 3-5 min and gently holding Jianjing (GB21) for 3-5 times. In each group, the treatment was given once every day and there was 1-day rest after every 6-day treatment. Totally, the duration of treatment was 60 days. Separately, before treatment, in 30 days and 60 days of treatment, the lump diameter and the infants' adaptability were observed and compared between the two groups. Results: The effective rates were 94.1% and 70.6% in the modified tuina group and the textbook-version tuina group respectively, presenting a significant difference (P < 0.05). In 30 days of treatment, 12 cases were cured in the modified tuina group and 7 cases in the textbook-version tuina group. In 60 days of treatment, the color Doppler ultrasound examination found that the lump diameter in the modified tuina group was obviously smaller than that in the textbook-version tuina group, indicating a significant difference (P < 0.05). During the treatment, there was no case dropped out in the modified tuina group, but in the textbook-version tuina group, because of crying and low adaptability during treatment, 2 cases were dropped out. Conclusion: The modified tuina manipulation achieves the satisfactory clinical effect on infant congenital muscular torticollis and it is acceptable by the infant. Hence, this therapy deserves to be promoted in clinical practice. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of World Journal of Acupuncture Moxibustion House.