Li Z, Gao Y, Yan D, Feng YH. Efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical spondylosis-related pain in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(11): 108288 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.108288]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yi-Hui Feng, MD, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, No. 369 Dengyun Road, Qingdao High-tech Zone, Qingdao 266042, Shandong Province, China. walgzzh@126.com
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Psychiatry
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Retrospective Cohort Study
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 19, 2025 (publication date) through Nov 3, 2025
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Li Z, Gao Y, Yan D, Feng YH. Efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical spondylosis-related pain in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(11): 108288 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.108288]
World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2025; 15(11): 108288 Published online Nov 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.108288
Efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical spondylosis-related pain in patients with generalized anxiety disorder
Zhe Li, Yu Gao, Dong Yan, Yi-Hui Feng
Zhe Li, Department of Pain Disease Treatment, Zhengzhou Orthopaedic Hospital, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Yu Gao, Dong Yan, Department of Cervicolumbar, Zhengzhou Orthopaedic Hospital, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Yi-Hui Feng, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266042, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Li Z and Gao Y was the guarantor and designed the study; Li Z, Yan D, and Feng YH participated in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data, and drafted the initial manuscript; Li Z, Feng YH, and Yan D revised the article critically for important intellectual content. All authors participated in this study and jointly reviewed and edited the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Committee of Zhengzhou Orthopedic Hospital, No. IEC-2024-07.
Informed consent statement: The requirement for informed consent was waived because of the retrospective nature of the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yi-Hui Feng, MD, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, No. 369 Dengyun Road, Qingdao High-tech Zone, Qingdao 266042, Shandong Province, China. walgzzh@126.com
Received: June 5, 2025 Revised: July 4, 2025 Accepted: August 26, 2025 Published online: November 19, 2025 Processing time: 150 Days and 23.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Cervical spondylosis (CS) frequently co-occurs with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), presenting a complex clinical challenge. Managing CS-related pain in patients with GAD is particularly challenging because of the bidirectional relationship between pain and anxiety, necessitating integrated treatment strategies.
AIM
To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) in treating CS-related pain and anxiety in patients with GAD.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 83 patients with CS-related pain and GAD who received EA treatment over 2-year period. Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale, and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Additionally, neuroinflammatory markers, including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, were examined. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks of treatment.
RESULTS
EA treatment significantly reduced CS-related pain (mean visual analog scale reduction: 3.24 ± 1.18; P < 0.001) and improved anxiety symptoms (mean Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale reduction: 7.83 ± 2.65; P < 0.001) after 8 weeks of treatment. Neuroinflammatory markers also showed significant reductions, with interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels decreasing by 32.7% and 28.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). Pain reduction was significantly correlated with improvements in anxiety symptoms (r = 0.68; P < 0.001) and a decrease in inflammatory markers (r = 0.54; P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION
EA demonstrates significant efficacy in reducing CS-related pain in patients with comorbid GAD, along with concurrent improvements in anxiety symptoms and neuroinflammatory profiles. These findings suggest that EA may offer a valuable integrative approach for managing this complex clinical presentation, potentially addressing both pain and anxiety through the modulation of neuroinflammatory pathways.
Core Tip: This study highlights the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) in reducing cervical spondylosis-related pain and alleviating anxiety symptoms in patients with comorbid generalized anxiety disorders. Over an 8-week treatment period, EA significantly reduced pain, anxiety, and neuroinflammatory markers, such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. These findings suggest that EA may be a promising integrative approach for managing both pain and anxiety by modulating neuroinflammatory pathways, offering valuable clinical benefits for patients with this complex condition.
