Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of bloodletting and cupping for cervical radiculopathy. Methods: The randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in five centers. A total of 183 eligible subjects were randomly allocated into a bloodletting group (n=68), an acupuncture group (n=56) and a combined group (n=59). Patients in the bloodletting group were treated with bloodletting at Dazhui (GV 14) and Jianjing (GB 21) on the affected side, coupled with 5-10 min of cupping, 5 mL blood for each cup, 2-3 cups for one treatment. Patients in the acupuncture group were treated with needling cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) points and Jianjing (GB 21) on the affected side. The needles were retained for 30 min. Patients in the combined group were treated with both methods. The treatment in all three groups were done once every three days, twice a week, 4 weeks for a course of treatment, for a total of 1-3 courses. Then the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated using scores of visual analogue scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDL) and clinical assessment scale (CAS) before treatment and after 1, 2 and 3 courses of treatment. Results: The scores of VAS, NDI and CAS in all three groups were significantly decreased after 1, 2 and 3 courses of treatment (all P＜0.001), and there were no inter-group statistical significances in comparing scores of VAS, NDI and CAS (all P＞0.05). Conclusion: Bloodletting and cupping share the similar effect with acupuncture in pain relief and improvement of quality of life in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major disease that threatens human life and health. Its pathogenesis is complex and still not fully clarified. The clinical treatment is mainly supportive and lacks specific treatment methods. Acupuncture treatment can inhibit immune inflammatory reactions, neuroinflammatory reactions, oxidative stress levels, and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, improve lung function, and relieve migraine, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. However, whether acupuncture treatment is suitable for treating these symptoms in patients with COVID-19 still needs to be investigated. For this review, the literature was systematically searched for multiple databases to summarize the mechanisms of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19-related symptoms and complications. A complex network analysis of acupoints and symptoms was also performed to clarify acupoint selection in the acupuncture treatment of symptoms related to COVID-19. The evidence indicates that acupuncture can improve the respiratory, digestive, nervous, and mental and psychological symptoms related to COVID-19 by inhibiting immune inflammatory reactions, regulating intestinal flora, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress level, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, neurotransmitter release, and HPA axis activity, and alleviating basic diseases such as diseases of the vascular system. Acupuncture can improve various clinical and concomitant symptoms of COVID-19; however, its mechanism of action is complex and requires further study. Graphical abstract: http://links.lww.com/AHM/A54