An investigation into the effects of acupuncture on radial pressure pulse waves in patients with low back pain: A protocol for a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Introduction The characteristics of radial pressure pulse waves (RPPW) provide an essential diagnostic technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The purpose of this research is to develop a study protocol that integrates the concept of TCM and traditional acupuncture treatment with modern scientific tools utilizing a quasi-experimental design. We will investigate the effects of acupuncture on the RPPW in study participants with low back pain (LBP) using modern tools, including the pulse sphygmograph, the fingertip-to-floor test, the Faces Pain Scale-Revised, the Oswestry Disability Index, the Health Status Questionnaire, and the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire. Methods We will attempt to recruit 80 eligible subjects with LBP based on our predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Acupuncture intervention will be performed bilaterally on Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25) and Weizhong (BL40) for 20 min. Objective and subjective baseline assessments and outcome evaluations will be performed at a specific time before and after the intervention. This paper describes the methods of our original research approved by the China Medical University Hospital's Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment is in progress and data collection will continue until March 2019. Conclusions To our knowledge, this preliminary study is the first attempt to investigate the effects of acupuncture on the RPPW in LBP subjects using a pulse sphygmograph and other modern tools. The findings will also investigate the effectiveness of the selected acupuncture point combinations for LBP. We hope this preliminary study will provide a basic foundation for a large-scale research study that involves randomisation in the future.

Acupuncture Differentially Affects the High-Frequency Spectral Energy in Radial Pulse Positions Depending on Type of Lower Back Pain

“…One study has reported that LBP is more prevalent among females than males, predominantly in occupational groups including industrial workers, white-collar workers, physiotherapists, and hospital staff [29]. As described in our published study protocol, four types of LBP exist, based on the TCM syndrome-aetiology differentiation (see Figure 7) [1].…”

“…The digital output presented in the software application includes a real-time display of the pulse spectrogram and time- and frequency-domain analyses. PPAS-96 is the enhanced model of the Huang-T1 Pulse Sphygmograph [1]. Huang-T1 Pulse Sphygmograph has been used in studies that have investigated the effects of acupuncture in patients with dyspepsia [12]; the influence of radial pulse and heart rate variability (HRV) in heat- and cold-stressed humans [17]; and a comparison of the radial pulse and HRV in normotensive and hypertensive subjects [18].…”

“…Acupuncture is a core discipline in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been practised in China for centuries. In traditional acupuncture, pulse palpation is an important clinical diagnostic technique that guides acupuncture practitioners in their treatment strategy and evaluates the effectiveness of the treatment [1]. The Ling Shu text in Chapter 1 of Huang Di Nei Jing advises that “one must first diagnose the pulse before acupuncture, treat the disease only after perceiving the severity or ease of the Qi ” [2].…”

“…Inconsistencies in diagnoses and treatments can result from subjective assessments by TCM practitioners [7, 8]. Since the 1950s, quantitative analyses of pulse profiles have been studied by researchers [1]. The development of the pulse sphygmograph, providing quantitative and graphical presentations of the radial pulse, is an important milestone in transforming conventional pulse diagnoses into scientific assessments.…”

“…In addition, the Health Status Questionnaire, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ) were used to determine the overall health status of each study participant. Full details of the methodologies are described in the study protocol “An investigation into the effects of acupuncture on radial pressure pulse waves in patients with low back pain: a protocol for a quasi-experimental study” [1].…”