[Clinical study of piriformis syndrome treated with trigger-point acupuncture].

OBJECTIVES

To compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on piriformis syndrome between trigger-point (TrP) acupuncture and glucocorticoid injection.

METHODS

Sixty patients with piriformis syndrome were randomly allocated to an acupuncture group (30 cases, treated with TrP acupuncture) and a control group (30 cases, treated with glucocorticoid injection). In the two groups, the intervention was delivered once weekly and 2 treatments were required. Before treatment and 1 week, 1 month, 2 months and 3 months after treatment, the scores of the numerical rating scale (NRS) and Oswestry dysfunction index questionnaire (ODI), and the passive hip range of motion (PROM) were collected separately；the score of the 36-item short form of health survey (SF-36) was observed 3 months after treatment；and the administration of analgesic medication and the occurrence of adverse effects were recorded in the patients of 2 groups.

RESULTS

The scores of NRS and ODI were decreased, and PROM was increased at each time point compared with the baseline (before treatment) in both groups (<0.05). In comparison with the control group, the scores of NRS and ODI were decreased (<0.01, <0.05) and the range of hip internal rotation (HIR) was increased in the acupuncture group 2 and 3 months after treatment (<0.01). Three months after treatment, the scores for physiological function, body pain, and vitality of SF-36 in the acupuncture group were higher than those of the control group (<0.05). The number of patients with analgesic drugs was less (<0.05) in the acupuncture group than that in the control group in 2 and 3 months after treatment. During treatment and in follow-up stage, no serious adverse reactions occurred in the patients of 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical effect of TrP acupuncture is similar to that of glucocorticoid injection on piriformis syndrome in 1 month after treatment. In 2 months after treatment, TrP acupuncture is markedly effective for attenuating pain and the functional impairment of the lower limbs, improving the quality of life and reducing the use of analgesic drugs in comparison with glucocorticoid injection.