Acute lumbar sprain treated with massage combined with acupuncture at different distal acupoints: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe treatment efficacy of acupuncture at different distal acupoints for acute lumbar sprain after massage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and fifty patients with acute lumbar sprain were randomly divided into a Yaotongdian (Extra) group, a Houxi (SI 3) group, a Weizhong (BL 40) group, a Chengshan (BL 57) group and a Shuigou (GV 26) group, total 5 groups, 30 cases in each one. After the same massage treatment and based on groups divided, different distal acupoints above-mentioned were selected to be acupunctured. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, lumbar activity and treatment efficacy of patients in 5 groups were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>With acupuncture at distal acupoints after massage,VAS scores of patients in 5 groups were decreased compared with those after massage treatment (all P<0.05); lumbar activity was all obviously improved (all P<0.01); and cured and markedly effective rates were all increased in comparison with those after massage (all P<0.01). But among 5 groups the differences of VAS scores, lumbar activity and cured and markedly effective rates were not statistically significant(all P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Based on massage treatment, acupuncture at distal acupoints could further improve the treatment efficacy for acute lumbar sprain, but there is no obvious effective difference among every distal acupoint. As long as choosing acupoints with lower pain threshold and stimulating enough, good efficacy could be acquired for acute lumbar sprain.</p>