The Effects of Korean Medical Treatment Combined with Acupotomy on Patients with a Herniated Intervertebral Disc of the Lumbar Spine: a Retrospective Study

Jae Hong Kim; Yeo Jin Jang; Ju Hyung Park; Young Nim You

doi:10.13045/acupunct.2015011

J Acupunct Res > Volume 32(1); 2015 > Article

Kim, Jang, Park, and You: The Effects of Korean Medical Treatment Combined with Acupotomy on Patients with a Herniated Intervertebral Disc of the Lumbar Spine: a Retrospective Study※

Clinical Research

Acupuncture 2015; 32(1): 119-126.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13045/acupunct.2015011

The Effects of Korean Medical Treatment Combined with Acupotomy on Patients with a Herniated Intervertebral Disc of the Lumbar Spine: a Retrospective Study^※

Jae Hong Kim^1,^*, Yeo Jin Jang¹, Ju Hyung Park², Young Nim You²

¹Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Dong-Shin University

²Clinical Trials Center, Gwangju Korean Medicine Hospital of Dong-Shin University

^*Corresponding author: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, Gwangju Korean Medicine Hospital of Dong-Shin University, 141, Wolsan–ro, Nam–gu, Gwangju 503-232, Republic of Korea,
Tel: +82-62-350-7209, E-mail: nahonga@hanmail.net

Received February 09, 2015 Revised March 07, 2015 Accepted March 10, 2015

Abstract

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effects of Korean medical treatments combined with acupotomy on patients diagnosed with a herniated intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine.

Methods:

We reviewed the medical records of twenty in patients diagnosed with a herniated intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine. They had received Korean medical treatment combined with acupotomy on tender points in the gluteus minimus muscle and piriformis muscle at Gwangju Korean Medicine Hospital of Dong-Shin University from April, 2014 to December, 2014. To evaluate the efficacy of the treatments, the twenty in patients were asked to complete the Numerical Rating Scale(NRS) and the Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) before acupotomy, the first day after acupotomy, the third day after acupotomy, and the fifth day after acupotomy.

Results:

1. NRS significantly decreased from 6.15 ± 1.27 to 3.90 ± 1.45. 2. ODI significantly decreased from 23.64 ± 8.76 to 15.95 ± 7.35.

Conclusions:

Korean medical treatment combined with acupotomy on tender points in the gluteus minimus muscle and piriformis muscle might be effective in reducing pain and improving the life quality of patients with a herniated intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine. We hope that further studies will be done to produce more clinical data and ensure effective application of these results.

Key Words: Acupotomy therapy; Herniated intervertebral disc of lumbar spine; Retrospective Study.

Notes

This research was supported by the Dongshin University research grants

Fig. 1.

Flowchart of study selection process

Table 1.

Distribution of Sex and Age, Period of Illness, Grade and Position of Herniation

		N	%
Sex	Male	6	30
Sex	Female	14	70

Age	20~29	1	5
	30~39	2	10
	40~49	5	25
	50~59	12	60

Period of illness	1~<7 days	3	15
	7 days~<1 month	7	35
	1 month~<6 months	10	50

Grade	Bulging	4	20
	Protrusion	11	55
	Extrusion	5	25

Position	L4~5	14	70
Position	L5~S1	6	30

Table 2.

Changing Pattern of ODI

	Mean	SD	F	p-value
Base line	23.65	8.76	16.740	.000
1 day follow up	20.25	9.16
3 day follow up	17.50	6.79
5 day follow up	15.95	7.35

p-value was calculated by repeated measures ANOVA.

Table 3.

Changing Pattern of NRS

	Mean	SD	F	p-value
Base line	6.15	1.27	25.755	.000
1 day follow up	5.40	1.73
3 day follow up	4.50	1.50
5 day follow up	3.90	1.45

p-value was calculated by repeated measures ANOVA.

Table 4.

Changes on ODI

	Base line	1 day follow up	3 day follow up
Base line
1 day follow up	−3.40(3.10)^**
3 day follow up	−6.15(4.03)^***	−2.75(3.97)^**
5 day follow up	−7.70(4.76)^***	−4.30(4.40)^***	−1.55(1.64)^***

Average ODI values are means ± standard deviation. p-values were calculated by repeated measures ANOVA.

^* p <0.05.

^** p<0.01.

^*** p<0.001.

Table 5.

changes on NRS

	Base line	1 day follow up	3 day follow up
Base line
1 day follow up	−.75(.79)^***
3 day follow up	−1.65(1.09)^***	−.90(1.17)^**
5 day follow up	−2.25(1.12)^***	−1.50(1.19)^***	−.60(.68)^**

Average ODI values are means ± standard deviation. p-values were calculated by repeated measures ANOVA.

^* p<0.05.

^** p<0.01.

^*** p<0.001.

VI.

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