Effectiveness of lumbar motion style acupuncture treatment on inpatients with acute low back pain: A pragmatic, randomized controlled trial

This parallel, single-center, pragmatic, randomized controlled study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of motion style acupuncture treatment (MSAT; a combination of acupuncture and Doin therapy) to reduce pain and improve the functional disability of patients with acute low back pain (aLBP) due to road traffic accidents. Ninety-six patients with aLBP admitted to the Haeundae Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine in South Korea due to traffic accidents were treated with integrative Korean medicine (IKM) with additional 3-day MSAT sessions during hospitalization (MSAT group, 48 patients) or without (control group, 48 patients), and followed up for 90 days. The mean numeric rating scale (NRS) scores of low back pain (LBP) of the MSAT and control groups were both 6.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.3, 7.1) at baseline. After completing the third round of all applicable treatment sessions (the primary endpoint in this study), the mean NRS scores of the MSAT and control groups were 3.76 (95% CI: 3.54, 3.99) and 5.32 (95% CI: 5.09, 5.55), respectively. The difference in the mean NRS score between the two groups was 1.56 (95% CI: 1.25, 1.87). IKM treatment combined with MSAT can reduce pain and improve the range of motion of patients with aLBP. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT04956458). •We investigated the effectiveness and safety of MSAT.•To reduce pain and improve functional disability aLBP due to road traffic accidents.•IKM with MSAT can reduce pain and improve the range of motion of patients with aLBP.•Lumbar MSAT is an effective and safe treatment strategy for patients with aLBP.