Table 5 Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture treatment frequently used for lumbar intervertebral disc displacement: data collected and reported according to STRICTA standards
STRICTA checklist items | Acupuncture | Pharmacopuncture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acupuncture rationale | 1a) Style of acupuncture | Refer to Table 4. | 1a) Type of pharmacopuncture | Refer to Table 4. | ||
1b) Reasoning for treatment provided | Anatomical structure likely to cause symptoms (e.g. shortened quadratus lumborum, shortened psoas muscles)a | 95 (77.2) | 1b) Reasoning for treatment provided | Physical stimulation of solution (i.e. irrigation of inflamed area, desensitization effect triggered by pain elicited by injection) | 123 (100) | |
Tender points, trigger points, and other points that elicit a painful response upon palpation | 67 (54.5) | |||||
Spinal levels of pathology as confirmed through imaging (e.g. site of disc herniation) | 62 (50.4) | Chemical efficacy of solution (i.e. pharmaceutical effect from major ingredients)a | 120 (97.6) | |||
Ah-shi points (site of pain) | 44 (35.8) | |||||
Effective acupoints as observed through clinical experience | 43 (35) | Acupuncture effects of pharmacopuncture needle (i.e. effect from pharmacopuncture needle itself) | 115 (93.5) | |||
Acupoints based on Korean Medicine principles (e.g. GB30, BL40, BL57) | 30 (24.4) | |||||
Academic knowledge derived from research articles, clinical practice guidelines | 15 (12.2) | Placebo effect (i.e. effect from patient anticipation) | 7 (5.7) | |||
Knowledge acquired through formal education | 13 (10.6) | |||||
Details of needling | 2a) Number of needle insertions per subject per session | 11 ± 3.7 | 2a) Number of acupoint injections per subject per session (range) | 2.9 ~ 5.8 | ||
2a) Amount of pharmacopuncture solution injected per session (range, cc) | 1.2 ~ 3.2 | |||||
2b) Names of points used | Refer to Table 4. | 2b) Names of points used | Refer to Table 4. | |||
2c) Depth of insertion (cm) | 3.0 ± 1.3 | 2c) Depth of insertion (range, cm) | 1.6 ~ 3.6 | |||
2d) Responses sought | De qi sensation | 5.5 ± 1.4 | ||||
Muscle twitch response | 5.2 ± 1.4 | |||||
2e) Needle stimulation | Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment (MSAT) | 69 (56.1) | ||||
Lifting and thrusting (提揷) | 60 (48.8) | |||||
Holding and twisting (捻轉) | 58 (47.2) | |||||
Percentage of patients treated with electroacupuncture (%) | 91.1 ± 20.2 | |||||
2f) Needle retention time (minutes) | 13.9 ± 2.1 | |||||
2 g) Needle type | Diameter of needle (mm) | 0.3 ± 0.03 | ||||
Treatment Regimen | 3a) Number of treatment sessions | Refer to Table 1. | 3a) Number of treatment sessions | Refer to Table 1. | ||
3b) Frequency of treatment sessions (sessions/week) | 1.9 ± 0.3 | 3b) Frequency of treatment sessions (sessions/week) | 1.9 ± 0.3 | |||
3b) Duration of treatment sessions (minutes) | 17.8 ± 10.9 | 3b) Duration of treatment sessions (minutes) | 2.2 ~ 4.3 2.2 ± 2.9 | 4.3 ± 4.2 | ||
Other components of treatment | 4a) Other interventions administered | Refer to Table 1. | 4a) Other interventions administered | Refer to Table 1. | ||
Practitioner background | 5) Description of participating acupuncturists | Refer to Table 1. | 5) Description of participating acupuncturists | Refer to Table 1. | ||