Efficacy of caulis sinomenii combined with gutong plaster for neurogenic cervical spondylosis based on magnetic resonance imaging evaluation

Cervical radiculopathy (CR) incidence is rising, impacting quality of life. This study evaluated Caulis Sinomenii extract combined with Gutong plaster for CR using MRI. Eighty CR patients were randomized into experimental (n = 40; Caulis Sinomenii + Gutong plaster) and control (n = 40; Gutong plaster alone) groups. MRI assessed intervertebral foramen area, nerve root compression, vertical diffusivity (VD), and fractional anisotropy (FA). Outcomes included cervical curvature, range of motion, cervical function score (CFS), neck disability index (NDI), and efficacy rates. Post-treatment MRI revealed greater increases in intervertebral foramen area and nerve root compression improvement in experimental group versus control group ( P <0.05). Cervical lordosis angle restoration was superior in experimental group ( P <0.05). Experimental group showed significant improvements in flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation angles ( P <0.05). CFS increased more in experimental group (16.05 ± 2.48 vs. 12.96 ± 2.71; P <0.05), with lower NDI post-treatment (12.39 ± 6.42 vs. 18.74 ± 8.36). VD and FA improved significantly in experimental group ( P <0.05). Efficacy rates were 97 % (experimental) vs. 82 % (control; P <0.05). MRI confirmed Caulis Sinomenii combined with Gutong plaster effectively alleviates nerve root compression and promotes cervical structure recovery in CR. In clinical practice, for patients with nerve root-type cervical spondylopathy, particularly those who, after assessment, exhibit nerve root compression and require improvement of cervical spine structure, a treatment regimen combining Caulis Sinomenii and plaster may be considered.