Clinical effect and infrared thermogram on electroacupuncture for acute lumbar sprain

Abstract

【摘要】目的：观察电针治疗急性腰扭伤的临床疗效以及治疗前后腰部红外热像图的变 化。方法: 采用随机数字表将 295 例急性腰扭伤患者随机分为电针组 147 例和药物组 148 例，电针组选用后溪穴治疗，药物组用美洛昔康片治疗，各组治疗前后进行腰部红外热 像图的检查。结果: 电针组和药物组痊愈率分别为 71.4%和 42.6%；有效率分别为 93.9% 和 87.2% (P<0.01)；电针组与药物组红外热像图治疗前后温度差分别为为 2.52℃和 0.80℃ (P<0.01)，二者有显著性差异。结论: 电针组和药物组治疗急性腰扭伤均有显著疗效，但 电针组的总体疗效优于药物组，且电针组治疗前后红外热像图的升温效应也明显高于药 物组。 【关键词】腰痛；扭伤和劳损；电针；针刺疗法 【Abstract】 Objective:To observe the clinical effect and infra-red thermogram changes for acute lumbar sprain. Methods: All 295 cases with acute lumbar sprain were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group (147 cases) and medication group (148 cases). The cases in electroacupuncture group were treated by needling Houxi (SI 3), whereas those in the medication group were treated with Meloxicam tablet. The infra-red thermogram was observed before and after treatment. Results: The recovery and effective rates in the electroacupuncture group were 71.4% and 93.9%, whereas the rates in the medication groups were 42.6% and 87.2% (P<0.01). The temperature differences via the thermogram in the electroacupuncture and medication groups were 2.52℃ and 0.80℃ (P<0.01), indicating a significant difference. Conclusion: Both electroacupuncture and medication could obtain significant effect for acute lumbar sprain; however, electroacupuncture obtained a better overall effect and a more substantial temperature-raising effect in the thermogram than medication. 【Key Words】 Low Back Pain; Sprain and Strains; Electroacupuncture; Acupuncture Therapy 【CLC Number】R246.2 【Document Code】A Acute lumbar sprain is mainly characterized by lower back pain with restricted movement due to uncoordinated contraction of the lumbar muscles and subsequent muscle, fascial tearing or lumbar vertebral joint strain [1] . Literature reports have shown that acupuncture can obtain exact effects for acute lumbar sprain. Over the past two years, we have employed multi-centered, large sample, randomized clinical trials to observe the effect and thermogram changes on electroacupuncture for acute lumbar sprain. The result is now summarized as follows.

Electroacupuncture at Houxi (SI 3) for acute lumbar sprain: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…Ultimately, 6 studies including 1 288 patients were included for analysis (Table 1). [6][7][8] , other three were single-centered study [9][10][11] . All the trials were randomized controlledtrials (treatment and control).…”

“…Among the six trials, five trials claimed the methods of randomization clearly, and all of them used random number table [6][7][8][9][10] ; only one failed to describe how the random allocation sequences were generated legibly [9] . Allocated concealment was reported in 4 trials, such as opaque envelopes [6][7][8]9] . Two trials used single blinding method [6][7] .…”

“…Allocated concealment was reported in 4 trials, such as opaque envelopes [6][7][8]9] . Two trials used single blinding method [6][7] . Four trials reported missed cases, but did not use the intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) [6][7][8]11] .…”

“…Two trials used single blinding method [6][7] . Four trials reported missed cases, but did not use the intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) [6][7][8]11] . Only one trial had a follow-up report.…”

“…The treatment groups were all intervened by EA at Houxi (SI 3); while three trials adopted Mobic for control [7][8]11] , one trial used needling at Yaotongdian (EX-UE 7) for control [6] , one trial used Diclofenac Sodium in the control group [11] , and one adopted EA plus Nimesulid in the treatment group and Nimesulid alone in the control group [10] .…”