Efficacy of Acupuncture for Discogenic Sciatica

NCT ID: NCT02770963

Last Updated: 2016-05-12

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-05-31

Study Completion Date

2018-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on pain relief for patients with discogenic sciatica compared with sham acupuncture.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Background: Sciatica is primarily caused by herniated discs with nerve-root compression. Acupuncture may effectively relieve the pain of discogenic sciatica, but the evidence is limited.

Methods/Design: Sixty patients with discogenic sciatica will be recruited and randomized to receive acupuncture or sham-acupuncture at a 1:1 ratio. Patients in both groups will receive treatment 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The following acupoints will be used: Dachang shu (BL 25), Shenshu (BL 23), Weizhong (BL 40), and Chengshan (BL 57).

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Sciatica

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Acupuncture

Shenshu (BL23) on bilateral sides and Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), and Chengshan (BL57) on the affected side will be applied.

Huatuo Brand needle (0.3\*75 mm) will be used for BL25 and Huatuo Brand needle (0.3\*40mm) will be used for BL23, BL40 and BL57.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Acupuncture

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Shenshu (BL23) on bilateral sides and Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), and Chengshan (BL57) on the affected side will be applied.

A Huatuo Brand needle (0.3\*75 mm) for BL25 will be inserted at a depth of 40-70 mm vertically until the patient feels soreness and a distension sensation that radiates to the leg. The needle will be lifted 1-2 mm without rotating or lifting. Huatuo Brand needles (0.3\*40 mm) at the other acupoints (BL23, BL40 and BL57) will be inserted 30 mm and manipulated by lifting, thrusting, twirling evenly until the Deqi sensation is achieved. The needles in these acupoints will be manipulated by small evenly applied lifting, thrusting, and twirling movements 3 times every 10 minutes.

Sham acupuncture

The acupoints will be the same as the acupuncture group. Specially designed sham needles (0.3\*25 mm) will be used . The sham needle consists of a needle handle, needle body, blunt tip and a sterile polyethylene cylindrical foam pad (identical to the pads in the acupuncture group).

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham acupuncture

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Specially designed sham needles (0.3\*25 mm) will be used. The sham needle consists of a needle handle, needle body, blunt tip and a sterile polyethylene cylindrical foam pad (identical to the pads in the acupuncture group).

The acupoints will be the same as the acupuncture group. The needle will be inserted vertically until pressed against the skin without penetration. The manipulation will be consistent with the acupuncture group and blind to the patients.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Acupuncture

Shenshu (BL23) on bilateral sides and Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), and Chengshan (BL57) on the affected side will be applied.

A Huatuo Brand needle (0.3\*75 mm) for BL25 will be inserted at a depth of 40-70 mm vertically until the patient feels soreness and a distension sensation that radiates to the leg. The needle will be lifted 1-2 mm without rotating or lifting. Huatuo Brand needles (0.3\*40 mm) at the other acupoints (BL23, BL40 and BL57) will be inserted 30 mm and manipulated by lifting, thrusting, twirling evenly until the Deqi sensation is achieved. The needles in these acupoints will be manipulated by small evenly applied lifting, thrusting, and twirling movements 3 times every 10 minutes.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Sham acupuncture

Specially designed sham needles (0.3\*25 mm) will be used. The sham needle consists of a needle handle, needle body, blunt tip and a sterile polyethylene cylindrical foam pad (identical to the pads in the acupuncture group).

The acupoints will be the same as the acupuncture group. The needle will be inserted vertically until pressed against the skin without penetration. The manipulation will be consistent with the acupuncture group and blind to the patients.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Unilateral leg pain diagnosed as discogenic sciatica;
2. Sciatica patients with an average leg pain VAS of 40 mm or higher in the last 24 hours;
3. Aged 18 to 75 years;
4. Leg pains that correlate with CT or MRI findings of lumbar disc herniation;
5. Patients who agree to follow the trial protocol.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Severe cases with central or giant or ruptured lumbar disc herniation, cauda equina syndrome, foot drop, or surgery requirements;
2. Progressive neurological symptoms after 3 months of strict conservative treatment (e.g., nerve root adhesion, crossed straight-leg testing, or obvious muscle atrophy);
3. Severe cardiovascular, liver, kidney, hematopoietic system diseases, autoimmune diseases, or poor nutritional status;
4. Subjects with cognitive impairment;
5. Pregnancy;
6. Subjects who received acupuncture for sciatica within the past month.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Qin Yao

Postgraduate

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Qin Yao

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Acupuncture, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing (100053), China

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Beijing, , China

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

China

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Qin Yao

Role: CONTACT

+86-15650728152

Zhishun Liu

Role: CONTACT

+86-10-88001124

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Qin Yao

Role: primary

+86-15650728152

Zhishun Liu

Role: backup

+86-10-88001124

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Koes BW, van Tulder MW, Peul WC. Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica. BMJ. 2007 Jun 23;334(7607):1313-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39223.428495.BE. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17585160 (View on PubMed)

Valat JP, Genevay S, Marty M, Rozenberg S, Koes B. Sciatica. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2010 Apr;24(2):241-52. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2009.11.005.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20227645 (View on PubMed)

Ropper AH, Zafonte RD. Sciatica. N Engl J Med. 2015 Mar 26;372(13):1240-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1410151. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25806916 (View on PubMed)

Lewis R, Williams N, Matar HE, Din N, Fitzsimmons D, Phillips C, Jones M, Sutton A, Burton K, Nafees S, Hendry M, Rickard I, Chakraverty R, Wilkinson C. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of management strategies for sciatica: systematic review and economic model. Health Technol Assess. 2011 Nov;15(39):1-578. doi: 10.3310/hta15390. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22078311 (View on PubMed)

Asche CV, Kirkness CS, McAdam-Marx C, Fritz JM. The societal costs of low back pain: data published between 2001 and 2007. J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2007;21(4):25-33.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18032313 (View on PubMed)

Thomas KC, Fisher CG, Boyd M, Bishop P, Wing P, Dvorak MF. Outcome evaluation of surgical and nonsurgical management of lumbar disc protrusion causing radiculopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007 Jun 1;32(13):1414-22. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318060a5d1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17545909 (View on PubMed)

Ji M, Wang X, Chen M, Shen Y, Zhang X, Yang J. The Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:192808. doi: 10.1155/2015/192808. Epub 2015 Sep 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26425130 (View on PubMed)

Qin Z, Liu X, Wu J, Zhai Y, Liu Z. Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Treating Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:425108. doi: 10.1155/2015/425108. Epub 2015 Oct 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26576192 (View on PubMed)

Kreiner DS, Hwang SW, Easa JE, Resnick DK, Baisden JL, Bess S, Cho CH, DePalma MJ, Dougherty P 2nd, Fernand R, Ghiselli G, Hanna AS, Lamer T, Lisi AJ, Mazanec DJ, Meagher RJ, Nucci RC, Patel RD, Sembrano JN, Sharma AK, Summers JT, Taleghani CK, Tontz WL Jr, Toton JF; North American Spine Society. An evidence-based clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy. Spine J. 2014 Jan;14(1):180-91. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.08.003. Epub 2013 Nov 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24239490 (View on PubMed)

MacPherson H, Altman DG, Hammerschlag R, Youping L, Taixiang W, White A, Moher D; STRICTA Revision Group. Revised STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA): extending the CONSORT statement. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Oct;16(10):ST1-14. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.1610.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20954957 (View on PubMed)

Liu B, Xu H, Ma R, Mo Q, Yan S, Liu Z. Effect of blinding with a new pragmatic placebo needle: a randomized controlled crossover study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2014 Dec;93(27):e200. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000000200.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25501074 (View on PubMed)

Porchet F, Wietlisbach V, Burnand B, Daeppen K, Villemure JG, Vader JP. Relationship between severity of lumbar disc disease and disability scores in sciatica patients. Neurosurgery. 2002 Jun;50(6):1253-9; discussion 1259-60. doi: 10.1097/00006123-200206000-00014.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12015843 (View on PubMed)

Cohen SP, Bogduk N, Dragovich A, Buckenmaier CC 3rd, Griffith S, Kurihara C, Raymond J, Richter PJ, Williams N, Yaksh TL. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response, and preclinical safety study of transforaminal epidural etanercept for the treatment of sciatica. Anesthesiology. 2009 May;110(5):1116-26. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3181a05aa0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19387178 (View on PubMed)

Fairbank JC, Pynsent PB. The Oswestry Disability Index. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000 Nov 15;25(22):2940-52; discussion 2952. doi: 10.1097/00007632-200011150-00017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11074683 (View on PubMed)

Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Ichikawa L, Avins AL, Delaney K, Barlow WE, Khalsa PS, Deyo RA. Treatment expectations and preferences as predictors of outcome of acupuncture for chronic back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010 Jul 1;35(15):1471-7. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181c2a8d3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20535051 (View on PubMed)

Bartels DJ, van Laarhoven AI, van de Kerkhof PC, Evers AW. Placebo and nocebo effects on itch: effects, mechanisms, and predictors. Eur J Pain. 2016 Jan;20(1):8-13. doi: 10.1002/ejp.750. Epub 2015 Sep 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26417885 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2016010401

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.