Chronic low back pain (CLBP) due to lumbar spondylosis is a leading cause of disability, significantly impacting the quality of life in middle-aged and elderly populations. While electroacupuncture (EA) and auricular acupressure (AA) are recognized as safe, non-pharmacological therapies, high-quality clinical evidence specifically evaluating their combined effects on CLBP patients with TCM "Kidney Yin deficiency" syndrome remains limited.This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining EA with AA (utilizing Vaccaria segetalis seeds) compared to EA combined with sham AA. The study will focus on 76 eligible patients at Le Van Thinh Hospital. Primary objectives are to measure changes in pain intensity (VAS) and functional improvement (ODI) at three intervals: baseline (T0), after 7 days (T1), and upon completion of the 14-day intervention (T2). The findings are expected to provide an evidence-based foundation for an integrated treatment approach to manage chronic lumbar pain effectively.
Age between 40 and 70 years.
Low back pain persisting for ≥ 12 weeks.
Pain intensity: 30 ≤ VAS ≤ 70.
Disability index: ODI ≥ 10%.
Contraindications to auricular acupressure (e.g., ear skin infection) or electroacupuncture (e.g., pregnancy, severe heart failure, surgical indications, pacemakers, metal implants).
Specific causes of low back pain (e.g., infection, tumor, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, fracture).
Disc herniation with surgical indications (e.g., muscle atrophy, severe limb weakness, or sphincter dysfunction).
Currently participating in other interventional studies.