Efficacy of Combination Treatment by using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Prostaglandin E1 for Cervical Spondylosis

Introduction : In patients with cervical spondylosis for which surgical intervention was distinctly indicated but no such measures were taken due to certain reasons, a combination treatment using hyperbaric oxygen (referred to as HBO below) therapy and prostaglandin E1 (referred to as PGE1 below) was performed with good results. Subjects and Methods : Ten cases of cervical spondylosis with distinct indication for surgical intervention in our hospital were enrolled in this study. Five out of 10 cases received a combination treatment with HBO therapy and PGE1 (referred to as the H-P group below) and 5 cases received HBO therapy alone (H group). All cases had myelopathy. The male to female ratio was 7 : 3 and the patients' ages ranged from 50 to 80 years old. As for the neurological findings, the rate of improvement before and after treatment was evaluated by the NCSS and ASIA impairment score. HBO therapy was performed using Type 2 Kit (Hanyuuda Tekko, P-1000SE) at 2.0 of ATA for 85 minutes (compression for 10 mins, treatment pressure for 60 mins and decompression for 15 mins), once a day for 10 days, as a rule. In addition, PGE1 was i. v. instilled at a dose of 120 μ g/day for 2 weeks. Conclusion : The average rate of improvement in the H-P group was superior to that in the H only group. To sum up, PGE1, when used in combination with HBO therapy, seemed to have a more potent effect on cervical spondylosis.