Sciatica

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RESEARCH ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS

OF ACUPUNCTURE

John G. Connor, M.Ac, L.Ac.

June 2005

• According to the results of a study by Wehling & Reinecke published in German in Schmerz 1997 Jun 13:11(3):180-4 entitled "Acupuncture together with cytokine depressing herbs in comparison to injection therapy with steroids in sciatic pain" in which 278 patients with chronic pain for a least 3 months were observed the following was found: Best results were gained with steroid injection (66% pain reduction), acupuncture in combination with herbs improved the pain an average of 62%, whereas injection with local anaesthetic had a pain reduction of 48%. The conclusion they drew from their results was that acupuncture in combination with herbs and steroid nerve blocks appear to be an effective and thus recommendable conservative therapy in cases of sciatic pain.

• The results of another study by Duplan B et al published in French in Sem Hop 1983 Dec 8:59(45):3109-14 entitled "Acupuncture and sciatica in the acute phase. Double-blind study of 30 cases" involved the random assignment of 30 patients with acute sciatica into one of two groups. Objective and subjective criteria were analyzed before treatment and after five session of acupuncture. It was found that in the "placebo" group, no significant improvement was recorded. Conversely, in the [acupuncture] treated group, study of objective criteria showed improvement of the Lasegue sign. Among subjective symptoms, positive responses were recorded in the duration of improvement, degree of improvement in the decubitus and after ten minutes standing, and use of analgesics. Compared to the "placebo" group these changes are statistically significant.

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