[Clinical efficacy and time-effect relationship of dynamic qi acupuncture for acute lumbar sprain]

To observe the clinical efficacy of dynamic qi acupuncture for acute lumbar sprain, and to explore the differences of different needle retention time on the improvement of pain, lumbar mobility and lumbar dysfunction.

A total of 160 patients with acute lumbar sprain were randomly divided into an observation group A (40 cases, 4 cases dropped off), an observation group B (40 cases, 2 cases dropped off), an observation group C (40 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a medication group (40 cases, 6 cases dropped off). The patients in the observation group A, the observation group B and the observation group C were treated with acupuncture at "lumbago point" and Sanjian (LI 3) on the left side, and during the needles were kept for 10, 20 and 30 min respectively, the patients were required to take tolerable lumbar active activities, once a day; the patients in the medication group were treated with celecoxib capsules, 0.2 g each time, twice a day. All the patients were treated for 5 d. Before and after treatment, the scores of numerical rating scale-11 (NRS-11), lumbar range of motion (ROM) and modified Oswestry disability index (ODI) were observed, and the clinical efficacy of each group was evaluated.

After treatment, the scores of NRS-11, ROM and ODI in each group were decreased compared before treatment (P<0.01). The decreased degree of NRS-11, ROM and ODI in each observation group was greater than that in the medication group (P<0.05), and the decreased degree of ROM and ODI in the observation group B and the observation group C was greater than that in the observation group A (P<0.05). The total effective rates were 94.4% (34/36) in the observation group A, 94.7% (36/38) in the observation group B and 97.2% (35/36) in the observation group C, respectively, which were higher than 79.4% (27/34) in the medication group (P<0.05).

Dynamic qi acupuncture with needle retention for 10, 20 and 30 min all could effectively improve the pain, lumbar mobility and lumbar dysfunction in patients with acute lumbar sprain. If the lumbar dysfunction is severe, needle retention for 20 min or more is recommended.