Leite Paula M S, Mendonça Andreza R C, Maciel Leonardo Y S, Poderoso-Neto Maurício L, Araujo Carla C A, Góis Hilda C J, Souza Jérsica H S, DeSantana Josimari M
Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, 49.060-100, Brazil.
Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Sergipe, 49.100-000, Brazil.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Oct 8;2018:8586746. doi: 10.1155/2018/8586746. eCollection 2018.
Chronic nonspecific low back pain is common and one of the most disabling conditions in the world. There is moderate evidence that chronic low back pain patients present altered functional connectivity in areas related to pain processing. Quantitative sensory testing is a way of clinical measure of these alterations. Although there is not enough evidence, there are some reports that electroacupuncture is supposedly more effective in relieving pain than acupuncture because the addition of electric current could optimize the effects of traditional technique. Thus, the objective of this randomized clinical trial was to verify if electroacupuncture treatment reduces pain and changes quantitative sensory testing responses in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Patients were evaluated before and after 10 sessions regarding pain (11-point numerical rating pain scale) and quantitative sensory testing (pressure pain threshold, temporal summation, and conditioned pain modulation). There were 1 treatment group (electroacupuncture (EA)) and three different control groups (CTR 1, CTR 2, and CTR 3). A total of 69 patients participated in the study. No significant differences were found in pain intensity or quantitative sensory testing responses when comparing electroacupuncture group to the three control groups. There was a significant reduction in both resting and movement pain intensity in groups EA, CTR 1, and CTR3. Although ten sessions of electroacupuncture have diminished pain intensity in both resting and movement, it could not change significantly quantitative sensory testing and diminish central sensitization in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. The implications of this study involve the fact that, maybe, in chronic nonspecific low back pain, electroacupuncture should be associated with other treatments that target central sensitization.
慢性非特异性下腰痛很常见，是世界上最致残的病症之一。有中等证据表明，慢性下腰痛患者在与疼痛处理相关的区域存在功能连接改变。定量感觉测试是临床测量这些改变的一种方法。虽然证据不足，但有一些报告称，电针据说比针灸更能有效缓解疼痛，因为增加电流可以优化传统技术的效果。因此，这项随机临床试验的目的是验证电针治疗是否能减轻慢性非特异性下腰痛患者的疼痛并改变定量感觉测试反应。在10次治疗前后，对患者进行疼痛（11点数字评分疼痛量表）和定量感觉测试（压力疼痛阈值、时间总和和条件性疼痛调制）评估。有1个治疗组（电针（EA））和3个不同的对照组（CTR 1、CTR 2和CTR 3）。共有69名患者参与了该研究。将电针组与三个对照组进行比较时，在疼痛强度或定量感觉测试反应方面未发现显著差异。EA组、CTR 1组和CTR 3组的静息和运动疼痛强度均有显著降低。虽然1
