Abstract
BackgroundChronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent (80%) and multi-dimensional illness. This study aims to test whether acupuncture, baclofen, or combined treatment with acupuncture and baclofen alleviates symptoms of non-specific chronic LBP in men.MethodsEight-four (84) men aged 50-60 years with non-specific chronic LBP were randomly assigned to four groups: the baclofen group received only baclofen (30 mg/day); the acupuncture group received only acupuncture at selected acupoints; the acupuncture + baclofen group received combined treatment with acupuncture and baclofen treatments; and the control group received no pain reduction treatment. After five weeks of treatment, visual analogue scale (VAS) and self-reported pain disability with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) were conducted for outcome measures.ResultsAfter treatment, the baclofen, acupuncture and acupuncture + baclofen groups all had lower VAS and RDQ scores. Significantly higher reduction and improvement in VAS and RDQ scores were found in the acupuncture and acupuncture + baclofen groups compared to the baclofen group.ConclusionThe present study indicates that the combined treatment of acupuncture and baclofen is more effective than baclofen treatment alone to reduce pain in patients with non-specific chronic LBP.Trial registration numberACTRN12609000698279
Highlights
Chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent (80%) and multi-dimensional illness
There was no significant difference in baseline variables such as age, disease, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) scores between groups (Table 1)
The BA group showed a significant decrease in VAS at one and two weeks of treatment compared to baseline (P < 0.001) and the control group (P = 0.008)
Summary
Chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent (80%) and multi-dimensional illness. Low back pain (LBP) may be the most prevalent illness, with 80% of the population experiencing it at least once in their lifetime [1]. Up to 90% of all patients with acute LBP recover quickly with or without treatment [2,3]. Ten to forty percent of all LBP cases become chronic which is a burden on the society [4,5]. Most LBP cases are non-specific as definitive diagnosis cannot be established with current radiological methods [4]. The results of research on the effectiveness of treatments for non-specific chronic LBP are inconsistent [8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
