Effect of ultrasound-guided acupotomy nerve stimulation combined with sinomenine injection in site-directed interventional treatment of piriformis syndrome: a randomized controlled study

Abstract

Objective

Ultrasound-guided acupotomy nerve stimulation combined with sinomenine injection in site-directed interventional treatment is a comprehensive external treatment method. It integrates traditional Chinese and Western medicine, utilized for the clinical management of acute and chronic pain. This study aimed to explore the effect of ultrasound-guided acupotomy nerve stimulation combined with sinomenine injection in site-directed interventional treatment of piriformis syndrome.

Methods

Sixty patients with piriformis syndrome were randomly divided into the control and treatment groups (n = 30). The patients in the control group received the treatment principle of "ibuprofen sustained release capsule plus mecobalamine tablet plus Zushima tablet" for continuous 2 weeks. Patients in the treatment group received ultrasound-guided acupotomy nerve stimulation combined with sinomenine injection in site-directed interventional treatment, once a week for a continuous 2 weeks. The diagnostic efficacy of TCM syndrome, pain score, clinical symptom indicators, and clinical pain condition evaluation were assessed and compared between the two groups.

Results

After treatment, the overall clinical efficacy in the treatment group was significantly better than the control group (p = 0.003). The pain scores, hip resting pain scores, and lower limb radiative pain scores in the treatment group were significantly lower than those before treatment (p < 0.05), as well as the control group at the same period (p < 0.05). Compared with before treatment, the piriformis tension test, claudication, sleep difficulty, hip pressing pain, and hip active pain were significantly decreased after treatment, and they were similar between the two groups.

Conclusion

Compared with traditional therapy, ultrasound-guided acupotomy nerve stimulation combined with sinomenine injection in site-directed interventional treatment significantly improves the clinical efficacy, pain symptoms, hip resting pain, and lower extremity radiation pain of patients with piriformis syndrome.