Abstract

Objective: Low back pain is the acute or chronic pain occurring in the region from the level of the first lumbar vertebra (L1) to the intervertebral disc between the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) and the first sacral vertebra (S1). Long electrical acupuncture is a method that combines long needle acupuncture and electrotherapy, while the “Du Huo Tang Ji Sheng” formula is a traditional medicine that has been proven to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, promote meridian circulation, and invigorate blood flow, which can effectively support the treatment of low back pain. To evaluate the effectiveness of treating low back pain due to spinal degeneration using long electrical acupuncture combined with Du Huo Tang Ji Sheng at Hue Rehabilitation Hospital .

Methods: The study included 40 patients diagnosed with low back pain due to degeneration treated at Hue Rehabilitation Hospital. The study was designed as a prospective research method, assessing effectiveness before and after treatment.

Results: After treatment, improvement in pain reduction was evident with 7.5% experiencing moderate pain, 82.5% mild pain, and 10% being pain-free (p<0.001). There was a significant improvement in spinal mobility at the D9 and D18 time points (p<0.005). The quality of life of patients, measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), also showed significant improvement with a good rate of 30% after treatment. No clinically significant adverse effects were reported during the treatment process.

Conclusion: Treatment of low back pain due to spinal degeneration using long electrical acupuncture combined with Du Huo Tang Ji Sheng demonstrates high clinical efficacy.