An interventional study of Steroid and Acupuncture in Sciatica, sponsored by Taipei Medical University Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-12-05.
Sponsored by Taipei Medical University Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Disc herniation, stenosis of the spine and spondylolisthesis are the common causes of radiculitis in medical practice today, and can cause symptoms of sciatica. Steroid injection, acupuncture and platelet-rich plasma injection are often used interventions for the treatments of sciatica. The investigators will investigate the efficacy and safety of steroid injection, acupuncture and platelet-rich plasma injection for sciatica in this single center, parallel, randomized-controlled clinical trial.
Steroid injection, acupuncture and platelet-rich plasma injection are often used interventions for the treatments of sciatica. The investigators will investigate the efficacy and safety of steroid injection, acupuncture and platelet-rich plasma injection for sciatica in this single center, parallel, randomized-controlled clinical trial.
Participants will be randomized into 3 groups (steroid injection, acupuncture and platelet-rich plasma injection) by central allocation. Randomized participants will complete a questionnaire that solicited information regarding age, sex, marital status, occupation, education, and medical history. The blinding credibility of the treatments will be evaluated at the end of the treatment.
Participants in steroid injection group will receive Triamcinolone 1pc plus lidocaine 1% 1cc injection at neuritis nerve roots. Participants in platelet-rich plasma injection group will receive 15cc blood draw first to concentrate into platelet-rich plasma and then inject at neuritis nerve roots. Participants in acupuncture group received standardized acupuncture treatment. hat treatment was accomplished by selecting a group of acupuncture points that predefined. Acupuncture points will be bladder meridian pattern acupuncture points including Shenshu (BL23), Qihaishu (BL24), Dachangshu (BL25), and Guanyuanshu(BL26). The needles will be inserted perpendicular to a depth of 5 to 35 mm depending on the acupuncture point, which was followed by manual stimulation by bidirectional rotation to induce Deqi sensation. Deqi was defined as a dull, localized, and aching sensation, which signaled the attainment of qi.
Outcome Measures Primary Outcome Measure The primary outcome measure is visual analogue scale for sciatica. To understand the impact of sciatica on the participants' life, visual analogue scale for bothersomeness is chosen instead of pain intensity. The participants will be asked to mark, on a 10 cm visual analogue scale (0, absence of bothersomeness; 10, the worst bothersomeness imaginable), the average degree of bothersomeness due to sciatica experienced within the most recent 1 week from the day of the assessment. This measurement has substantial validity. Bothersomeness of sciatica will be measured at baseline, 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, and 24-week.
Secondary Outcome Measures Numeric Rating Scale for pain intensity is a simple method evaluating the subjective intensity of pain. Pain intensity will be measured in the same way as visual analogue scale for bothersomeness. Validity of its reliability has been demonstrated. The Chinese version Oswestry Disability Index is used to measure back pain-related dysfunction. Health-related quality of life will be measured using the well-validated EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D). A higher score is indicative of a better general health status. Participants satisfaction will be evaluated with 5 point scale (1 is worst, and 5 is best)
We will perform the Shapiro-Wilk normality test to determine whether or not the sample values followed a normal distribution and finally assumed normality according to the test result. For the description of baseline characteristics, mean with standard deviation (SD) for continuous data and frequency with percentage for dichotomous data will be described. Also, for the homogeneity test of baseline characteristics between 3 groups, 2-sample t tests for continuous data and chi-square test for dichotomous data will be performed. A mixed-model approach of repeated-measures 2-factor analysis will be used to analyze the difference and mean change in baseline, 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, and 24-week visual analogue scale score, Oswestry Disability Index, EQ-5D, patient satisfaction difference and mean change between groups, interaction between groups, and periods.
149 studies on the registry are indexed under Sciatica; 31 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 68 across 122 interventional studies indexed under Sciatica.
Browse Sciatica studies →Taipei Medical University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 64 studies on the registry; 12 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Inject steroid at neuritis nerve root.
Other: Steroid
Acupuncture at acupoints BL23 to BL26.
Other: Acupuncture
Inject Platelet Rich Plasma at neuritis nerve root.
Other: Platelet Rich Plasma
Triamcinolone 1pc + lidocaine 1% 1cc inject at neuritis nerve roots
1.5 inch acupuncture needles insert at acupoints BL23, BL24, BL25 and BL26
Inject investigators Platelet Rich Plasma at neuritis nerve roots
visual analogue scale score
Self reported pain intensity: 1. scales with a middle point, graduations or numbers; 2. meter-shaped scales; 3. "box-scales" consisting of circles equidistant from each other; 4. scales with descriptive terms at intervals along a line
Time frame: 2 weeks
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
An 11-point scale for patient self-reporting of pain scored 0-10 ( 0=no pain, 10= pain as bad as can be)
Time frame: 2 weeks
EQ-5D
The EQ-5D questionnaire has two components: health state description and evaluation. In the description part, health status is measured in terms of five dimensions (5D); mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Mobility dimension asks about the person's walking ability. Self-care dimension asks about the ability to wash or dress by oneself, and usual activities dimension measures performance in "work, study, housework, family or leisure activities". In pain/discomfort dimension, it asks how much pain or discomfort they have, and in anxiety/depression dimension, it asks how anxious or depressed they are.
Time frame: 2 weeks
Oswestry Disability Index (ODQ)
The Oswestry Disability Index (ODQ) has ten sections: pain, personal care, lifting, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, sex life, social life, and travelling. Respondents choose one of six statements that most applies to them in each section. The first statement is scored 0, the second is scored 1, and so on to 5 for the sixth statement. The sum of the section scores is transformed to a percentage score, adjusted for missed sections. The total possible score ranges 0-100 and a higher score indicates worse function. Scores from 0-20% are claimed to indicate 'minimal disability', 20-40% 'moderate disability', 40-60% 'severe disability', 60-80% 'crippled', and 80-100% 'bedbound or exaggerating'
Time frame: 2 weeks
Plan to share: No — There is no plan to make individual participant data available to other researchers.
Started Apr 2019 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for May 2025, 73 months after the start.
Of 44 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Sciatica, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 30. This study's planned 73 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 44 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 30.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Taipei Medical University Hospital