Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38618296›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain research2024

Efficacy of Electroacupuncture Combined with Chinese Herbal Medicine on Pain Intensity for Chronic Sciatica Secondary to Lumbar Disc Herniation: Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial.

Jing-Chun Xia, Yu-Cheng Huang, Ke Wu, Jian Pang, Ying Shi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pain research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jing-Chun Xia *Shi's Center of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0002-1892-7229
Yu-Cheng Huang *Shi's Center of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Ke WuShi's Center of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Jian PangShi's Center of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0003-0167-8553
Ying ShiShi's Center of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Chinese herbal medicine and electroacupuncture (EA) have been used to control pain for many decades in China. We aim to explore the efficacy of intervening patients whose discogenic sciatica symptoms lasting longer than 3 months with these conservative treatments. Patients and Methods: This is a single-center, parallel-group, patient-unblinded Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with blinded outcome assessment and statistician. One hundred and twenty-four patients will be assigned randomly into 2 groups including conservative treatment group (Shenxie Zhitong capsule combined with EA treatment) and Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, NSAIDs) control group (Celecoxib) in a 1:1 ratio. The trial involves a 4-week treatment along with follow-up for 6 months. The primary outcome is the leg pain intensity measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) at 6 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes include leg pain intensity at other time points, back pain intensity, leg pain and back pain frequency, functional status, quality of life, return to work status and satisfaction of patients. Adverse events will also be recorded. Strengths and Limitations of This Study: Through this study, we want to observe the efficacy of electroacupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine on pain intensity for chronic sciatica secondary to Lumbar Disc Herniation. If the final results are favorable, it is expected to be a safe, economical, and effective treatment for patients. The study design has the following limitations: the setup of control group was less than perfect; patients and doctors could not be blinded in this trial; we skipped the feasibility study. We have tried our best to minimize adverse impacts. Trial Registration: ChiCTR2300070884 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn, registered on 25th April 2023).

Indexed as

celecoxibelectroacupuncture treatmentprotocolsciatica of lumbar disc herniationshenxie zhitong capsulesingle-center randomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID38618296
PMCPMC11012699

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.