Joint mobilization (i. e. intracapsular passive exercise) is now attracting clinicians' attention as manipulative therapy for pain of intervertebral joint disorder.
In the present paper, introducing a part of a mobilization technique for the lumbar and sacroiliac joint and our mobilization evaluating method, we report a comparative study on the efficacy of acupuncture and mobilization therapy using our “lumbago evaluation chart”.
METHOD
Fifteen lumbago outpatients (6 males and 9 females with average age of 41.6±16.28 years) of our physiotherapy department, who showed no remarkable radiographic changes, were divided into three groups: Acupucnture alone, mobilization alone, and both acupuncture and mobilization were, performed for A, B, and C group respectively. Their responses were compared on the evaluation chart.
The patients were asked to rate the severity of pain and disability on a four grade basis. Five movements were chosen from A. D. L. and the results were rated as “easy”, “difficult” and “impossible”. The following were measured for lumbar flexibility: the distance between the finger-tip and the floor; the maximum backward bending of the upper body; S. L. R.; the distance between the S₁ and an upper point on the skin (10cm in an erect posture) at the maximal flexion the distance between the top of the iliac crest and an upper point (10cm in an erect posture) at the maximal lateral flexion.
Tenderness was measured with an algesiometer (maximum 10kg). CHILLS were rated on a three-grade basis. All the measured values were rated so that the maximum number of the total points in the evaluation chart was 100. Another chart (a mobilization test chart) was made, in which the severity of STIFFNESS and PAIN was rated on the following basis: None=0, Minimal=1, Severe=2, and the maximum total was 50.
RESULT
1) As for the score of “TENDERNESS and CHILLS”, C group was significantly different from both A and B group at 10% level by t-test. As for the total score, C group was significatly different from A and B group at the 0.5% level.
2) C group showed high rated improvement in the score of “PAIN”, “TENDERNESS”, and “STIFFNESS” after treatment.
3) Tenderness was often detected at VU₅₂ Zhishi and VU₄₀ Weizhong, and lumbar vertebrae stiffness was often seen in the lower part.
CONCLUSION
1) An evaluation chart for lumbago was developed to rate the symptoms.
2) Lumbago pationts without remarkable x-ray findings underwent acupuncture alone, mobilization alone, or both acupuncture and mobilization. The score of the evaluation chart has shown that combined use of acupuncture and mobilization is more effective than solitary use of each therapy in relieving pain.