A randomized comparative clinical trial of the relative effectiveness of manipulation or manipulation and acupuncture for the treatment of lower back pain

Abstract

Among the many modalities used by chiropractors is acupuncture. However, it has not yet been put to the test by research whether the addition of acupuncture for the treatment of lower back pain is of benefit or not to the patient. It is hypothesised that the addition of the acupuncture modality with the chiropractic adjustment will be of more benefit than the chiropractic adjustment alone. As the purpose ofthis study was to compare a chiropractic adjustment to a chiropractic adjustment followed by acupuncture the experimental method was used. The adjustments used were those indicated after following the diagnostic protocol of Natal Technikon using the Diversified Technique of Chiropractic. The acupuncture points used were the Urinary Bladder, 23, 25, 31, 36 and 40 and Gall Bladder 30 in all patients in the group receiving acupuncture. Thirty patients were selected randomly and split into two groups of 15. Patients were treated a maximum of 8 times or less if they become pain free in less treatments. The results of the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability, Numerical Pain Rating Scale-101 and McGill Pain Questionnaires were recorded before the 1st, 5th, and after the last treatment and again at the 1 month follow up consultation, along with the BROM II and Algometer readings. The statistical tests used were the Intragroup Wilcox Signed Rank Test, the Intergroup Mann Whitney U Test and Power statistics according to the UCLA web site. Both treatments were