Clinical Research in the Use of Paraneural Acupuncture for Sciatica

In 1976 I reported clinical results showing the influences of paraneural acupuncture on sciatica. By paraneural acupuncture is meant the method of acupuncture insertion into the indicated hypertonic muscle when due to muscle tension pressure is exerted upon a nerve trunk. The method of paraneural acupuncture for sciatica involves stationary insertion for a period of 15 minutes at a depth of 6cm. at BL-25 to reach the major psoas muscle and 6cm. at TENSHI to reach the piriformis muscle.<br>There are two methods of observation for studying the clinical effects of paraneural acupuncture- long term observation, observation over an extended period to learn whether the symptoms recur, and short term observation to determine the immediate initial good results of treatment. As a method of long term observation, in order to determine the influences of paraneural acupuncture on sciatica, results obtained in 500 cases in which heretofore used treatment methods were employed were compared with results obtained in 141 cases in which paraneural acupuncture was added to the heretofore used treatment methods.<br>Results indicated a tendency toward disappearance of symptoms in most cases in the paraneural group. Moreover the fact that the number of treatments required to effect the above results was lower when paraneural acupuncture was uesd can be considered empirical evidence of a difference in effectiveness.<br>Next as a form of short term observation 30 cases of sciatica were divided at random into two groups and basic heretofore used treatment was administered to both groups with insertion at TENSHI and BL-25 performed to a depth of 6cm. in the paraneural acupuncture group and 2cm. in the non-paraneural acupuncture group.<br>We examined the number of treatments by after 6 treatments applying the crossover test in which the treatment methods were exchanged. Results revealed upon analysis of the data as an index obtained from thee measurements of the amount of tenderness at the midpoints of the hips and gastrocnemius muscles, measurement of the Lasègue's sign the angle to which the patient could raise his legs, and also the data obtained from the patient's assessment of spontaneous symptoms, that according to the t-test, a high significant difference was proven in both cases.<br>Moreover it was proven that the above methods were also effective in the treatment of radicular sciatica involving pathological changes of the lumbar vertebra and cartilage.<br>Thus from the above it was concluded that paraneural acupuncture is an applicable therapeutic method for the treatment of sciatica.