Hegu Acupuncture for Chronic Low-Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Acupuncture has long been employed for the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, very few studies have characterized the effectiveness of the different acupuncture modes for CLBP. Methods: In total, 187 patients with CLBP participated in this study. Eligible patients were randomized to Hegu acupuncture, Standard acupuncture, or Usual Care groups. Eighteen (18) treatments were provided over 7 weeks. Back-related dysfunction and symptom severity were assessed by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which were collected at baseline and at 8 and 48 weeks after beginning the treatment. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed for factorial analyses. Results: Significant differences were found between follow-up and the baseline scores (p < 0.05). The Hegu acupuncture group had higher RMDQ scores (8 weeks, 5.3 versus 2.1; 48 weeks, 5.7 versus 3.3; p < 0.001 for both) and VAS scores (8 weeks, 1.5 versus 0.5; 48 weeks, 2.6 versus 1.6; p < 0.001 for both) compared with the usual care group. The standardized acupuncture group also had higher RMDQ scores (8 weeks, 4.2 versus 2.1; 48 weeks, 4.6 versus 3.3, p < 0.001 for both) and VAS scores (8 weeks, 1.3 versus 0.5; 48 weeks, 2.4 versus 1.6, p < 0.001 for both) compared with the Usual Care group. The Hegu group had higher RMDQ scores (8 weeks, p < 0.05; 48 weeks, p < 0.001) and VAS scores (48 weeks, p < 0.05) compared with the standardized group. There was a significant difference between the Hegu and standardized acupuncture groups in repeated-measures ANOVA (p < 0.05). Across the three testing points, significant differences were found in the RMDQ and VAS scores between the usual care group and both treatment groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Both acupuncture modes have beneficial and persistent effectiveness against CLBP compared with the usual care group; Hegu acupuncture is significantly more effective than standardized acupuncture, especially in the long term.