Effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic sciatica from herniated disks: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Zhen Qu, Jiang-yi Ju, Han Qin, Yun-xia Ding, Li-hua Peng

TL;DR
Acupuncture significantly reduces pain and improves function in chronic sciatica caused by herniated disks, according to a review of clinical trials.
Contribution
This study provides a meta-analysis of acupuncture's efficacy for chronic sciatica, comparing it to sham, standard care, and conventional acupuncture.
Findings
Acupuncture reduced leg pain scores significantly compared to controls (SMD = –1.08).
Functional disability improved with acupuncture (ODI SMD = –0.57).
Efficacy was consistent across sham, standard care, and conventional acupuncture subgroups.
Abstract
Chronic sciatica, frequently attributable to lumbar disc herniation, imposes substantial burdens on patients’ quality of life and healthcare systems. Conventional interventions, including pharmacotherapy and physical therapy, are widely employed yet constrained by limited efficacy, necessitating the exploration of complementary modalities such as acupuncture. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published over the past decade (2015.05 – 2025.05) to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in alleviating leg pain intensity and improving functional mobility outcomes among patients with chronic sciatica. We searched four databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science) for RCTs on acupuncture versus control (sham acupuncture, standard care, or conventional acupuncture). Studies included adults with sciatica from…
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Taxonomy
TopicsSpine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology · Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies · Tendon Structure and Treatment
