The Effect of <i>Shinbaro</i> and Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture in Treating Lumbar Disc Herniations

Abstract

Objectives: This study was performed to compare the effects of Shinbaro pharmacopuncture therapy and bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy in lumbar disc herniation Methods: We compared treatment efficacy of 12 patients with Shinbaro pharmacopuncture therapy and 10 patients with bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy, all of whom were diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation using computed tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). We performed a retrospective comparison and analysis during the course of 21 days since admission. To evaluate the treatment efficacy, we recorded the temperatures of the opposite back, hip, and legs with visual analog scale(VAS, back and legs), pain rating scale(PRS), Oswestry disability index(ODI) and digital infrared thermal imaging(DITI) based on patients' medical records. Results: Both treatments were effective in reducing pain and improving functions for lumbar disc herniation patients in terms of VAS, PRS, ODI, DITI. Shinbaro pharmacopuncture group showed slightly better results than the bee venom pharmacopuncture group, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions: For the treatment of lumbar disc herniation, it is suggested that Shinbaro pharmacopuncture therapy is thought to be as effective as bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy without side effects, although further study would be necessary. Key Words: Lumbar disc herniation; Shinbaro pharmacopuncture; Bee venom pharmacopuncture; VAS; PRS; ODI.