A Clinical Study of Acupuncture for Low Back Pain (3rd report)

Relationship between Neurological Findings and Tenderness

Abstract

In order to clarify whether the difference in the appearance rate of tenderness exist between the patients with abnormal neurological findings and the patients without them, the tenderness were examined in 81 patients with low back pain.
In the measurements, the pressure of 5-6kg/cm² was given on each points by fingertip. The compression were made in turn from proximal points to distal points. The appearance of the tenderness were significantly greater in the group with abnormal neurological findings than in the group without them (P<0.01-0.05). The marked tenderness appeared along the posterior branches of lumbar and sacral nerves and sciatic nerve.
It was suggested that the tenderness would be one of the important index reflecting well the condition of the disease.