Clinical Study Of Acupuncture With Herbal Fumigation And Steaming Therapy In Treating Myofascial Pain Syndrome Of Lumbar Region

Myofascial pain syndrome(MPS)is caused by muscle microtrauma or macrotrauma which makes local muscle contracts and lack of blood supply,oxygen secreting chemical substances stimulating wound area.It will further cause the muscle tissue inflammation and pain.It's the fiber tissue level damage of the fascia,temdon,ligament and fatty tissue of lumbar region. It's also called lumbar region muscle fasciatis.It belongs the "BI" symptom in traditioal Chinese medicine.The cause is related to bad posture and over use of muscles,In traditioal Chinese medicine it also belongs "Over Work" symptoms,which means too hard working or bad posture cause the chronical damage.Many patients will suffer more pain in windy or cold climate,also it is called "muscle rheumatism" The reason is the bad circulation during the bad climate will aggreviate the symptoms.The main causes are chronic muscle and tendon problems,long term bad positions esecially lifting heavy things,suffering windy or cold climate which makes the meridians stuck,and chronic disease or aged problem.According to the Central Health bureau in Taiwan(2007),there were more than 2.14 million people suffering upper or lower back pain,each one went to clinic 2.5 times per year.The statistic shows 80 percent people have the experience of low back pain.The etiological study abroad shows the same prevailence rate.The reason and mechanism of mps and tender pont or trigger point is still unknown.There must be the trigger point before the MPS.The trigger point is the key point.The effect of reducing pain clinically of acupuncture is well known and performed internationally.Many studies show acupunture is very effective,even better tham physical therapy.Chinese herbal fumigation and steaming therapy(FS)is one of the non-invasive and safe methed which combines the heat and herbal molecule to facilitate the bloodcirculation.The herbal medicine is absorbed via skin sreface and circulating all body.FS can both reduce the pain caused by joint arthritis and also promote health condition.Acpunture with fumigation and steaming thrapy(FS)is a kind of dual therapy.First insert a needle into acupoint to stimulate the nerve and blood supply better then FS method is applied.By this kind of dual method,the heat and acupuncture effect are supposed to give the lumbar region better circulating and treating effect of MPS.Purpose:According to the chinese traditioal acupuncture theory mentioned above, to invetigate the clinical effect of acupunture with fumigation and steaming therapy on lumbar myofascial pain syndrome and study the mechanism.Method:90 MPS patients are divided randomly into 3 groups:acupunture with FS,acupuncture only and control group.The acupunture with FS group is treated by acupuncture with FS everyday for ten days.The acupuncture group is treated by acupunture everyday for ten days.The control group is treated by taking the "PING-WEI-SAN" 3 tablets pid for ten days.There are no other method or therapy are prescriped during the study period.Results:The statistics show that in rest pain,tenderness pain,lumber range of motion disorder,weak muscle power,walking ability,The cured rate and total effective rate of acupunture with FS group are both better than acupuncture group and the control group.(p＜0.05)Conclusion:Acupunture with FS therapy can reduce the rest pain,tenderness pain,lumbar range of motion disorder,weak muscle power,walking ability caused by MPS better than acupuncture only or control group with significant meaning statiscally.