Effect of SFMA-guided Qihuang Needling vs conventional acupuncture on paraspinal neuromuscular activity in lumbar disc herniation: A randomised controlled trial
Shuangshuang Yuan, Hongcen Liu, Yuting Huang, Jianxia Zeng, Wenxu Deng, Zhihua Peng, Lixia Yang, Mingzhu Xu, Nanbu Wang, Shaoyang CuiBackground
Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) commonly causes chronic low back and leg pain. Qihuang Needling (QN) is a micro-invasive technique targeting myofascial dysfunction, but its effects on paraspinal neuromuscular activity have not been objectively quantified.
Objective
To determine whether SFMA-guided QN produces greater immediate improvement than conventional acupuncture (CA) in paraspinal neuromuscular activity.
Methods
In this single-centre, assessor- and statistician-blinded trial, 68 outpatients with LDH were allocated 1:1 to five daily sessions of SFMA-guided QN or CA. The primary endpoint was static multifidus AEMG, analysed by ANCOVA with baseline adjustment; pain and disability were exploratory endpoints.
Results
All 68 participants completed the trial. Static multifidus AEMG increased more with QN than CA (adjusted difference 7.43 μV, 95% CI 2.74 to 12.12; P = 0.002). All seven secondary sEMG endpoints also improved more with QN after false-discovery-rate control. The Oswestry Disability Index difference was −17.17 points (95% CI −20.53 to −13.81); responder rates were 76.5% versus 35.3% (P = 0.001). No serious adverse events occurred.
Conclusions
Five daily sessions of SFMA-guided QN produced greater immediate improvement in paraspinal neuromuscular activity than CA. Whether these differences persist, and which components account for them, cannot be determined from this trial.