Golden Needle Practitioner Library

Keywords: Chinese medicine, acupuncture, acute lumbar sprain, low back pain

On page 38 of issue #11, 2005 of Zhen Jiu Lin Chuang Za Zhi (Clinical Journal of Acupuncture & Moxibustion), Zheng Zhao-jian published an article titled, “Observations on the Therapeutic Effects of Treating 90 Cases of Acute Lumbar Sprain by Acupuncturing Xing Jian (Liv 2).” A summary of this article is presented below.

Cohort description:

Altogether, there were 150 out-patients enrolled in this two-wing comparison study, all of whom suffered from acute lumbar sprain. These 150 patients were randomly divided into two groups – a treatment group and a comparison group. In the treatment group, there were 50 males and 40 females aged 16-70 years, with an average age of 33.3 years. These patients had suffered from the above condition for from two hours to six days, with an average duration of 2.1 days. In the comparison group, there were 33 males and 27 females age 15-70 years, with an average age of 33.5 years. These patients had suffered from this condition for from 1.5 hours to six days, with an average duration of 2.09 days. Therefore, these two groups were judged comparable.

Treatment method:

Xing Jian (Liv 2) was needled bilaterally with strong draining technique. After one minute of needle stimulation, the patient was asked to mobilize their low back, beginning with twisting movements of the lumbar region in small amplitude and gradually increasing to a large amplitude. This was done for 30 minutes with the needles restimulated every five minutes. Treatment was given once per day, with three treatments equaling one course. If pain was severe, two treatments were given in the first day.

The comparison group was treated with one pill of Nuo Fu Ding (an unidentified Western medicine) one time per day along with the external application of a pain stopping plaster once per day. Three days equaled one course of treatment, and outcomes were analyzed after two courses.

Study outcomes:

Cure was defined as disappearance of pressure pain in the region of the low back with aching and pain and a return to normal movement of the affected area. Improvement was defined as decrease in pressure pain in the affected area. However, movement of the affected area still produced some pain or discomfort. No effect meant that there was no obvious improvement in symptoms from before to after treatment. The following table shows the outcomes of these two groups based on these criteria.

In addition, of those who were cured in the treatment group, 20 were cured in one treatment.

Discussion:

According to Dr. Zheng, in Chinese medicine, the signs and symptoms of acute lumbar sprain are due to detriment and damage to the channels and vessels causing inhibition of the movement of the qi and blood. Thus the qi becomes stagnant and the blood becomes static, while the channels and vessels become obstructed, blocked, and not freely flowing. Then, because “there is no free flow, there is pain.” Therefore, Dr. Zheng believes that the main treatment principles for this condition should be to move the qi and quicken the blood. Xing Jian is the brook point on the foot jue yin liver channel and has the effect of moving the qi. When the qi moves, the channels and vessels are freely and smoothly flowing and the circulation of blood has no stasis or obstruction. Hence, “free flow leads to the absence of pain.” This why strong draining stimulation at Xing Jian is able to quickly eliminate the pain associated with acute lumbar sprain.

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