Research One
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the effects on lumbar disc snake herniation between acupuncture in a combination with snake moxibustion with simple acupuncture or snake moxibustion.
A patient receding acupuncture for lumbar pain
METHODS:
One hundred and twenty cases of lumbar disc herniation patients were randomly divided into acupuncture and snake moxibustion group (group A, 60 cases), an acupuncture control group (group B, 30 cases), and a snake moxibustion control group (group C, 30 cases). In group A, acupuncture was applied to Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25) and tender points bilateral to the spine, once a day. Additionally, at the end of acupuncture on the 1st day of a week, snake moxibustion was applied for one time. In group B and group C, acupuncture or snake moxibustion was applied respectively.
RESULTS:
The excellent rate was 95.0% (57/60) in group A, which was superior to that of 70.0% (21/30) in group B and 66.7% (20/30) in group C (both P < 0.05). JOA scores in each group after treatment increased apparently (all P < 0.01), of which, the scores in group A increased much more apparent as compared with those of the other two groups after treatment (both P < 0.01). The efficacy in group A was relevant obviously with the duration of sickness, the shorter the duration of sickness was, the higher the excellent rate would be. The age of patients in group A was relevant obviously with the efficacy, the younger patient was, the higher-excellent rate would be.
CONCLUSION:
The efficiency of lumbar disc herniation treated with acupuncture and snake moxibustion is superior to that with either acupuncture or snake moxibustion.
Resources
1- By Acupuncture-Moxibustion Department, Xiangcheng Municipal Hospital of TCM, Xiangcheng 466200, Henan Province, China. All rights reserved.
– http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20886789
Research Two
Acupuncture for lumbar disc herniation
Acupuncture Treatment for Low Back Pain and Lower Limb Symptoms—The Relation between Acupuncture or Electroacupuncture Stimulation and Sciatic Nerve Blood Flow
Motohiro Inoue, Hiroshi Kitakoji, […], and Yasukazu Katsumi
The results indicate that acupuncture stimulation at disorder level Ex-B2 provides relief to a certain degree, but for many cases, it had no effect and no stable increase in sciatic nerve blood flow was observed. On the other hand, electroacupuncture stimulation of the pudendal nerve was effective even for cases that obtained no effect from stimulation at disorder level Ex-B2. The animal study also indicated a stable sciatic nerve blood flow increase response. With electroacupuncture stimulation of the nerve root, the effect was strongest directly after stimulation, and there were cases where a short period of stimulation provided a long-term effect. In the animal study, the blood flow increase response lasted longer than that provided by electroacupuncture stimulation of the pudendal nerve.