Clinical Effect of Acupotomy Combined with Korean Medicine: A Case Series of a Herniated Intervertebral Disc

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupotomy for treating patients with a herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD). This case series includes five HIVD patients who were treated at the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Daejeon University Dunsan Korean Hospital, Daejeon, Korea, from January 2015 to April 2015. Acupotomy was performed three times over a 2-week period, along with Korean medical treatment. The outcomes were evaluated by using a numeric rating scale (NRS), physical examination, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index (ODI), the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36), and the Surgical Safety Checklist. The NRS and physical examination results, as well as the ODI scores, were improved in all cases. No significant differences were noted on the SF-36. No patients had any adverse effects. This study, with its findings of encouraging responses in reducing low back pain and radiating pain and in recovering the kinetic state of soft tissue, supports the potential use of acupotomy for the treatment of patients suffering from HIVD.