Acupuncture Shows Short-Term Benefit Over Traction for Sciatica in Lumbar Disc Herniation Remission Phase

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Sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation can persist even during the remission phase of the condition, reducing quality of life for many patients. While acupuncture is widely used for lumbar disc herniation, evidence specifically addressing its effectiveness during the remission phase has been limited. This prespecified subgroup analysis drew on data from a larger multi-arm randomised controlled trial conducted at Wangjing Hospital in China between 2022 and 2024.

Seventy-eight participants with remission-phase lumbar disc herniation-induced sciatica — defined by a moderate level of pain on a visual analogue scale — were divided equally between an acupuncture group and a traction group. Both groups received three weeks of treatment and were monitored for a total of sixteen weeks. The primary outcome measured was leg pain intensity using the visual analogue scale, with secondary outcomes including low back pain scores, the Oswestry Disability Index, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores.

At three and four weeks, participants receiving acupuncture reported significantly lower leg pain scores compared with those receiving traction. Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores and improvement rates were also significantly better in the acupuncture group after three weeks, with an excellent response rate of 67.57% versus 47.22% in the traction group. These differences were not sustained at sixteen weeks. No significant differences were found for low back pain or disability scores. Adverse events in the acupuncture group were infrequent, mild, and resolved without intervention.

Conclusion: Acupuncture appears to offer meaningful short-term advantages over traction for relieving leg pain in the remission phase of lumbar disc herniation-induced sciatica, with an acceptable safety profile, though longer-term benefits were not confirmed.

Source: Shi F, Wu Z, Zhang S et al. Medicine (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42260872) · doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000049151

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