The Effect of Korean Medical Combination Treatment on 72 Cases of Herniated Intervertebral Lumbar Disc Patients: An Observational Study

Abstract

Objectives : This study was designed to assess the general distribution and clinical effectiveness of Korean medical treatment on lumbar disc herniation. Methods : This is an observational study. 72 patients admitted to Daejeon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine with a diagnosis of herniated intervertebral disc(HIVD) by lumbar-CT of lumbar-MRI were observed from July, 2014 to April, 2015. They were analyzed according to sex, age, the period of disease, causal factors, symptoms on admission, admission day, disc herniation type and treatment efficacy. All patients received a combination of treatments during hospitalization, including acupuncture, Chuna, herbal medicines and physical therapy. A zero to ten numerating rating scale(NRS) assessing pain, Oswestry disability index(ODI) and EuroQol-5 dimension(EQ-5D) was used before and after treatments. Results : Average admission duration was 28.00±12.85 days in lumbar disc patients. For lumbar patients, lower back pain NRS decreased from 5.89±2.00 to 3.42± 1.87(p<0.001) and radiating pain from 5.96±2.12 to 3.38±1.83(p<0.001). ODI decreased from 46.69±19.25 to 35.69±16.67 (p<0.001), and EQ-5D index increased from 0.63±0.26 to 0.71±0.20(p<0.05) after treatment in lumbar disc patients. Conclusions : Korean medical combination treatment might be effective in reducing pain and improving quality of life for patients with lumbar disc herniation. This study further confirmed the efficacy of Korean medical treatment on HIVD.

Establishing a critical pathway for Korean medical management of lumbar disc herniation

“…[1,2] As conventional medical approaches, which rely on painkillers, steroids, and surgical intervention, have been pushed to the limit, Korean medical therapy has been considered in various clinical domains. [3,4] Additionally, the safety of Korean medical interventions has been verified in several previous studies. [5][6][7] Hence, in recent years, these procedures have become widely accepted by both patients and providers as safe and effective treatment options for lumbar disc herniation in the Republic of Korea.…”

Long-Term Follow-Up of Intensive Integrative Treatment including Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment (MSAT) in Hospitalized Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: An Observational Study

“…Many studies have investigated the effects of Korean medicine on LDH levels. In a study by Kim [ 33 ], 72 participants underwent integrative Korean medicine treatment using acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, Chuna manual therapy, herbal medicine and physical therapy, and the NRS, ODI, and EQ-5D-5L scores were significantly improved. In a study by Kim [ 34 ], Korean Medicine integrative treatment was performed in 46 participants, and statistically significant improvement was observed in the NRS scores for LBP, radiating leg pain, and Short-Form 36, another indicator of quality of life.…”

Change in Radiating Leg Pain After Traffic Accidents in Patients With and Without Herniated Intervertebral Disc

“…In a study of patients diagnosed with HIVD, Korean medicine treatment was effective in relieving low back pain and radiating leg pain [14]. However, these studies only verified the significance of the effects of Korean medicine treatment.…”