A Case of Treating Sciatica with Acupuncture

© Claire Alatan-Lung OMD, LAc 2020

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                Mr. C. came to my clinic on November 19, 2016 with a diagnosis of herniated discs at L4-L5 and sciatica. He was experiencing radiating pain from the right hip to the posterior-lateral thigh, posterior-lateral lower leg, and the dorsal, lateral side of the right foot. Numbness was felt in the Lower leg and foot. The pain was constant and worsened upon exertion, i.e. prolonged standing and exercising. Cold and damp weather made it worse.  His daily walking routine became difficult and it was limited to a quarter of a mile. Over the past few years, he had sought multiple interventions such as physical, chiropractic therapy and deep tissue massage, all resulting in temporary relief. He declined to take pain medication and steroid injections recommended by his primary doctor. 

             Despite the sciatica pain, at age 79, Mr. C was in good health in general. His recent medical complaint included occasional low back pain and BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia). 

            The presented case was a condition called Bi syndrome in Chinese medicine. It is a disorder resulting from obstructions in the meridians caused by sluggish qi and blood circulation due to invasion of pathogenic wind, cold, dampness or heat. My diagnosis of Mr. C’s sciatica was cold-damp-Bi Syndrome in the leg Shao Yang (lateral side of the leg and foot) and leg Tai Yang (posterior side of the leg and foot) channels. His pulse revealed a general wiry quality (a sign of tension and deficiency of yin).  His tongue color was pale and had a dark edge (a sign of stagnation of qi and blood in the liver/gallbladder channel).  

       Numerous studies have shown acupuncture treatment activates endogenous analgesic mechanisms, causing secretion of endorphin which is an endogenous opioid and triggering release of adenosine, producing a rapidly effective analgesic action on radicular sciatica. A cohort study found that after electro-acupuncture (EA) to the spinal nerve root, the symptoms of patients with radicular sciatica were immediately and markedly reduced (Ji 2015). Studies have shown that the use of acupuncture may be more effective than drugs and may enhance the effect of drugs for patients with sciatica (Qin 2015). 

                  Mr. C received acupuncture treatment bi-weekly for three weeks. Sciatica pain was reduced by 50% after the first treatment. After the second treatment, the pain completely diminished and only numbness remained. Five treatments later, he only experienced occasional pain and numbness triggered by exertion. Ever since his sciatica pain diminished, he continued to receive once-a-month treatment to maintain the result. Until now he has been mostly pain free and regained the freedom to engage in all activities he enjoys.

References

Qin Z, Liu X, Wu J, Zhai Y, Liu Z. (2015) Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Treating Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:425108. doi: 10.1155/2015/425108. Epub 2015 Oct 21. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26576192

Ji M, Wang X, Chen M, Shen Y, Zhang X, Yang J. (2015) The Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2015 (2015). Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/192808/

Qin Z, Liu X, Yao Q, Zhai Y, Liu Z. (2015) Acupuncture for treating sciatica: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open 2015;5:e007498 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007498. Retrieved from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e007498.full