Clinical research on the efficacy and safety of thread-embedding acupuncture for treatment of herniated intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine: a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, patient–assessor blinded, controlled, parallel, clinical trial

Background A lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (LHIVD) is a common problem that usually causes lower back pain and neurological symptoms that manifest as radiating pain. Several studies have reported that thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) is effective in the treatment of LHIVD. However, these studies were of low quality and there is therefore little clinical evidence for the effectiveness of TEA in this regard. The aim of the present study is to establish the clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of TEA in the treatment of pain, function, and quality of life in patients with LHIVD. The study uses a rigorously designed, full-scale, randomized clinical trial (RCT) protocol. Method/design This is a multicenter, randomized, patient–assessor blinded, sham-controlled trial with two parallel arms. Seventy patients with LHIVD who have lower back pain more severe than 40 mm on the 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS), and who are aged 19–70 years, will be recruited and randomly allocated to a TEA group and sham TEA (STEA) group. Both groups will receive treatment on 23 predefined acupoints once a week for eight weeks; needles with the thread removed will be used in the STEA group, while normal TEA will be employed in the TEA group. Changes in the 100-mm VAS for lower back pain after eight weeks will be assessed as the primary outcome. Furthermore, the 100-mm VAS for radiating pain, Oswestry Disability Index, Roland–Morris disability questionnaire, EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Levels, and global perceived effect will be measured and analyzed as secondary outcomes. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after screening. Discussion The results of this trial will help to establish the clinical evidence regarding TEA in the treatment of patients with LHIVD. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03236753. Registered on August 2, 2017. Clinical Research Information Service of the Republic of Korea, KCT0002439. Registered on August 1, 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2864-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.