Efficacy and Central Mechanism of Acupuncture Treatment for Subacute Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Clinical Neuroimaging Protocol.

Purpose: The chronification of pain is a multifaceted process, and low back pain (LBP), being one of the most prevalent health concerns globally, is particularly prone to developing into a chronic condition. Acupuncture is a common method of treating LBP in Chinese medicine, which is safe and effective. However, its mechanism of action is unclear, and more data are needed to support its application in LBP.

Patients and methods: This study is a randomized controlled neuroimaging trial, involving 120 subacute LBP patients assigned to the true acupuncture group, the sham acupuncture group, or the waiting list control group. The whole study period includes a 4-week treatment period and an 8-week follow-up period. The visual analog scale, Oswestry Disability Index, range of motion, and pressure pain threshold will be used to evaluate clinical efficacy, the short-form 36-item health survey and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index will be used to evaluate quality of life, the self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale will be used for assessing emotional state. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans will be performed to detect cerebral activity changes between the three groups of patients before and after treatment, as well as during follow-up periods. The clinical data and MRI data will be analyzed, respectively. Correlation analysis will be used to explore the correlation between neuroimaging data and clinical indicators.

Conclusion: This study will provide rigorous evidence for the use of acupuncture to prevent the chronic progression of low back pain.

Trial registration: International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry ITMCTR2024000581, Registered on 17 October 2024.