158sciatica patients including 87 males and 71 females

aged 21～80 years were observed.Methods: Symptoms

signs

locomotion ability and verbal analog scale (VAS) of every case were used as four groups of indexes of observation. Dimension of every group index was quantified as 0

1

2 and 3 scores. 0 means no pain

no positive sign

normal locomotion or 0 score of VAS

3 means extreme pain

maximum positive sign

no locomotion or 10 points of VAS. All the points of every case added of the four groups of indexes were considered as the total integral value. The total integral value of the extremely severe case was 12 points while the normal case was 0 point. These 158 cases were divided into five groups according to the principle of randomly sampling. 1) Simple EA group

2) EA plus placebo (administration of Vitamin C 100 mg tid)

3) EA plus Nifedipine (calcium channel blocker

10 mg tid)

4) EA plus Beclofen (GABA receptor agonist

10 mg tid)

and 5) EA plus Clonidine (alfa 2 receptor agonist of NA). All the medicines were put into the capsules with the same color and same size. Double blind principle was employed to carry out the observations.EA stimulation (0.4～ 0.6 mA

50 Hz) was applied to bilateral Dachangshu (BL 25)

Shenshu (BL 23)

Chengshan (BL 57)

Huantiao (GB 30)

Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Weizhong (BL 40) points

for 30 min

once a day or every other day and with 5～10 times being a therapeutic course. Results: Curative effect was classified into 3 kinds. Significant effect meant that the total integral was decreased by more than 50%; improvement meant that the total integral value was decreased by 15～49% and no effect meant that the integral value was decreased by less than 14%. After treatment

the integral values of different groups decreased significantly in comparison with pre treatment of each group (P<0.025). It indicates that both simple EA and EA plus medicine groups had a marked curative effect. The total curative effect rates of Simple EA group

EA plus placebo

EA plus Nifedipine

EA plus Beclofen and EA plus Clonidine groups were 28%

28.13%

47.06%

79.41% and 93.93% respectively. Except simple acupuncture group

the differences of the total integral between EA plus placebo group and each other groups were significant (P< 0.001). It indicated that medicines could strengthen the EA effect and placebo had no effect.There was a significant difference between No.2 and No.3 or No.4 in the total integral values (P<0.001). It means that the analgesic effect of both Beclofen and Clonidine is better than Nifedipine while the difference between Beclofen and Clonidine is not significant (P> 0.05). Conclusion: In partial patients

EA has definite analgesic effect

can improve the signs and strengthen locomotion

Nifedipine

Beclofen and Clonidine may enhance the therapeutic effect of EA further.