Sciatica, a common type of neuropathic pain, is characterized by radicular pain radiating from the lower back region and down to the leg, sometimes with or without numbness, and muscle weakness. These symptoms are mostly related to the compression of the spinal nerve root by disc herniation, accounting for 85% of the total cases. A significant proportion of patients with sciatica experience pain that persists for 1 year or longer due to lack of effective treatments. Persistent or unresolved pain could eventually lead to neurological deficits and functional disability, which have a serious impact on the quality of life.
For patients with sciatica, acupuncture has been recommended as an effective method for pain relief. A recent review assessed the published clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for treating sciatica to support acupuncture for sciatica.
They analysed a total of 30 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 2,662 participants and the result showed that the clinical efficacy of acupuncture was superior to that of medicine treatment (MT) in improving the total effective rate, reducing the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score, increasing pain threshold and decreasing recurrence rate and having fewer side effects.
They conclude that acupuncture therapy is an effective and safe treatment for patients with sciatica, and it can be considered a suitable replacement for medicine treatment (MT).
References
Zhihui Zhang et al Front Neurosci. 2023; 17: 1097830.
