Effectiveness and Safety of Pharmacopuncture Therapy for Herniated Intervertebral Disc: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the conservative treatment of herniated intervertebral discs (HIVDs) using Korean medicine. In Korean medicine, pharmacopuncture therapy is widely used to treat musculoskeletal diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the eff...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MEDrang Inc.
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Acupuncture Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Background: Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the conservative treatment of herniated intervertebral discs (HIVDs) using Korean medicine. In Korean medicine, pharmacopuncture therapy is widely used to treat musculoskeletal diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of pharmacopuncture for treating HIVD in clinical settings. Methods: In this prospective, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial, 44 participants with HIVD were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the treatment or control group. Acupuncture, cupping, and infrared light therapy were administered to all participants; the treatment group received additional pharmacopuncture therapy. Treatments were administered 16 times for 8 weeks with a follow-up assessment on week 9. All evaluated variables were measured as changes at visit 17 as compared with the baseline data. The primary outcome was the visual analog scale (VAS) score, and the secondary outcomes were the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), report of “no worse than mild pain,” and range of motion (ROM) results. A full set analysis was conducted as the primary analysis using a linear mixed model. Results: Both groups were effective in reducing pain, improving function, and increasing treatment satisfaction for HIVD according to the VAS, ODI, PGIC, and ROM (flexion) results. There was significant improvement in pain relief and functional recovery in the treatment group compared with the control group. Conclusion: Pharmacopuncture therapy for HIVD was effective and safe for reducing pain, improving function, and increasing patient satisfaction. Further largescale clinical trials of pharmacopuncture are required. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2586-288X 2586-2898 |