ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the clinical effects of extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) on lumbar ramus posterior nervorum spinalium syndrome and to compare the effectiveness of applying it in X-ray orientation with pain-point orientation.MethodsSixty patients with lumbar ramus posterior nervorum spinalium syndrome were randomly divided into an X-ray orientation group and a pain-point orientation group with 30 subjects in each group.The two groups then received ESWT with the X-ray orientation and pain-point orientation,respectively.The ESWT was delivered at the energy of 0.12 to 0.20 mJ/cm2 and the frequency of 60-80 pulses per minutes.A total of 1000-1500 shock wave pulses were delivered every time.Three sessions of ESWT were administered,with a 3-5 days of interval between each session.The results were rated using the 75 scores of the lumbar function quantification index recommended by Greenough.Ratings were done before treatment,and after the first,the second and the third treatment.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the groups' average index scores before treatment.There were however significant differences from the baseline scores after the first,the second and the third treatments.There was no significant difference in average lumbar function quantification scores between the groups after the first treatment,but the inter-group differences were statistically significant after the second and the third treatments.After three treatments the cure rate in the X-ray orientation group was 76.7％ and overall effectiveness was 93.3％.Both were significantly higher than in the pain-point orientation group (33.3％ and 76.7％ respectively).ConclusionsThe advantages of X-ray orientation when administering ESWT for lumbar rami posterior nervorum spinalium syndrome are more exact positioning and more effective treatment.The effect was obviously better than with pain-point orientation.
