[Effect of acupuncture combined with suspension exercise therapy on chronic low back pain].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture combined with suspension exercise therapy on the clinical symptoms, lumbar proprioception and trunk isokinetic muscle strength in patients with chronic low back pain.

Methods: A total of 100 patients with chronic low back pain were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 50 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with suspension exercise therapy, and the training exercise was selected according to the patient's exercise ability, the suspension exercise therapy was given once a day, three times a week, for totally 4 weeks. Based on the treatment of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at Dachangshu (BL 25), Weizhong (BL 40), Qihaishu (BL 24), Shenshu (BL 23) and points, the acupuncture was given once a day, six times as a course of treatment, and a total of two courses of treatment were given. Before and after treatment, the scores of symptoms and signs, the pain rating index (PRI), present pain intensity (PPI) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) in the short-form of McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) in the two groups were recorded. The isokinetic feedback biomechanical test system was used to measure the lumbar proprioception and isokinetic muscle strength of the trunk, and the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.

Results: The scores of symptoms and signs, PRI, PPI and VAS after treatment were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (<0.05). The absolute error angle (AE) of lumbar proprioceptive index in the flexion and extension positions after treatment was lower than that before treatment in the two groups (<0.05), and that in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (<0.05). After treatment, the peak torque (PT) of musculus flexor and musculus extensor as well as peak torque/body weight (PT/BW) of musculus extensor were increased in the two groups, and the flexor/extensor (F/E) was reduced (<0.05). The PT of musculus flexor and musculus extensor as well as PT/BW of musculus extensor in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (<0.05), and F/E was lower than that in the control group (<0.05). The total effective rate was 90.0% (45/50) in the observation group, which was higher than 76.0% (38/50) in the control group (<0.05).

Conclusion: The acupuncture combined with suspension exercise therapy could effectively improve the symptoms and signs of patients with chronic low back pain, enhance the lumbar proprioception and trunk isokinetic muscle strength.