Efficacy and Safety of Electroacupuncture on Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy

Lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy (LDHR) is the local displacement of the intervertebral disc and its contents beyond the edge of the normal intervertebral disc space, resulting in pain, weakness or numbness in the muscle or dermatomal distribution area. Electroacupuncture is based on obtaining the needling sensation manually and applying electrical stimulation of different frequencies and intensities, aiming to enhance the intensity of acupoint stimulation to improve the effect. As a kind of acupoint stimulation therapy, electroacupuncture has shown analgesic effects in animal experiments. However, at present, the clinical evidence of electroacupuncture applied in the treatment of LDHR is still insufficient. Therefore, this randomized, single-blind, sham electroacupuncture controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture as a treatment for LDHR.