A recent clinical trial has revealed that acupuncture could be an effective therapeutic option for people suffering from sciatica, a painful condition that affects the lower part of the body. This study, published October 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that acupuncture not only helps reduce pain, but also improves daily function to a greater extent than a sham acupuncture treatment, designed to look and feel like the real thing. procedure.
Sciatica is a condition that affects millions of people around the world. It is caused by pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body, which originates in the lower back and runs down both legs. People with this condition often experience pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness in the lower part of the body, and in many cases, this discomfort is caused by herniated discs.
To address this pain, conventional medical treatments include the use of pain relievers such as paracetamol or stronger medications, including opioids. Other treatments include epidural injections or, in more severe cases, surgery to decompress the affected nerve. However, these options are not always effective and can carry significant risks. In this context, acupuncture emerges as a promising alternative.
The clinical trial recruited 220 participants at six hospitals in China, all diagnosed with moderate to severe sciatica, caused by herniated discs. To be selected, they must not have received acupuncture in the last year or be taking medications that could influence the condition. Additionally, participants were not required to have other spinal conditions or neurological diseases that could interfere with the study results.
The study group was divided into two. The first received ten sessions of standardized acupuncture for sciatica over a month, while the second group was treated with a sham procedure. In the latter case, professionals inserted needles at points that do not correspond to those traditionally used in therapeutic acupuncture, and in most sessions, the needles were applied superficially to the skin.
Throughout the trial, researchers measured participants’ pain and function at different times: before starting treatment, at weeks two, four, and eight, as well as at months six and twelve. To assess daily functioning, the Oswestry Disability Index was used, which measures patients’ ability to perform activities such as sleeping, lifting objects, or performing daily tasks.
From the second week of treatment, significant differences were noted between the two groups. Both reported a decrease in pain and an improvement in their functional ability, but the group that received real acupuncture showed better results in each evaluation. This trend continued throughout the year of follow-up, with statistically significant improvements in the acupuncture-treated group versus the sham group.
One of the study’s commentary authors, Dr. Jerard Kneifati-Hayek of Columbia University, noted that although some patients in the sham group may have experienced improvements due to placebo effects or the natural history of sciatica, the results showed that acupuncture had a positive effect beyond these possible explanations.
The study, however, had some limitations. It did not directly compare acupuncture to other common treatments, such as medications or surgery, which could have provided a clearer view of its relative effectiveness. Despite this, the trial has provided strong evidence for the usefulness of acupuncture, which could influence its adoption within health systems and health insurance.
As for side effects, the group that received real acupuncture experienced some minor problems, such as minor bleeding and small hemorrhages under the skin, with 24% of participants affected. In comparison, only 4.6% of the sham group reported adverse effects. However, no participants suffered serious side effects.
The study authors’ conclusion is clear: acupuncture should be considered a viable option for those suffering from chronic sciatica caused by herniated discs. Although additional studies are required to compare it with other treatments, the current results suggest that acupuncture is a safe and effective option for pain management in these patients.
This clinical trial reinforces the idea that acupuncture, an ancient practice, can play an important role in modern medicine.
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