Objective: To evaluate the analgesic effects of electroacupuncture and shortwave therapy on patients with lumbosacral syndrome due to spinal degeneration.
Subjects: 50 patients aged 40 and over, diagnosed with lumbosacral syndrome due to spinal degeneration at My Lam Mineral Spring Hospital, Tuyen Quang.
Method: Clinical intervention, no control group, comparing before and after treatment. Eligible patients received daily electroacupuncture treatment for 20 minutes once a day according to the Ministry of Health's protocol. After 10 minutes of electroacupuncture, patients received shortwave therapy for 15 minutes once a day. The treatment course lasted 20 days.
Results: After 10 days of treatment, the pain level in the study group was mainly mild, with 70% experiencing mild pain, and 30% experiencing moderate pain. The mean VAS score decreased from 5.26 ± 0.92 (points) to 2.96 ± 0.83 (points). After 20 days of treatment, the proportion of patients with significant pain improvement was 19 patients with no pain and 31 patients with mild pain. The mean VAS score continued to decrease compared to the pre-treatment time point and the D10 time point, decreasing to 0.76 ± 0.68 (points). The difference was statistically significant with p < 0.05
Conclusion: The combination of electroacupuncture and shortwave therapy is effective in reducing pain and improving range of motion in patients with lumbosacral syndrome due to spinal degeneration.