1. Introduction
low back pain, functional disability, Acupuncture, pain, electroacupuncture, NSLBP, LBP
GROUP B
This observational study was conducted to investigate the effect of lumbar-pelvic training (LP) combined with electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of chronic nonspecific low back pain. One hundred and twenty patients diagnosed with chronic nonspecific low back pain were evenly randomized to receive the following 4 treatments for 2 weeks: LP combined with EA (Group A), EA (Group B), LP (Group C) or no intervention (Group D). The LP was a self-developed training program containing 5 movements and was conducted three times a week to build up the strength of abdomen muscle groups. Four acupoints along the foot-Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is a major kind of low back pain (LBP) defined as pain localized below the margin of the last ribs and above the inferior gluteal lines without identifiable, known specific pathological changes.Due to its refractory and recurrent nature, NSLBP is an extremely frustrating symptom that affects a large number of people.Exercise is commonly used in the management of LBP. Guideline in UK advised people with LBP that staying physically active is likely to be beneficial.Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method to relieve pain. Nowadays, it has been widely used in the treatment of NSLBP in many countries, and has been recommended in guidelines from the US, UK and Canada.Consequently, previous studies have shown that exercise and EA are effective in the treatment of NSLBP. However, there is little evidence to support the use of one intervention combined with another. In this study, we developed an exercise program of lumbar-pelvic training (LP) based on our clinical experience, and aimed to compare the effects of LP combined with EA, LP alone, EA alone for chronic NSLBP patients on the reduction of pain intensity and functional disability.