The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if electroacupuncture can improve sleep in people with chronic sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation. It will also assess the safety of this treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are whether electroacupuncture improves sleep quality and whether it reduces pain and improves daily function. Researchers will compare electroacupuncture to a sham treatment, which looks like real acupuncture but has little or no therapeutic effect, to determine its effectiveness. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive electroacupuncture or sham treatment, will receive treatment three times per week for four weeks, and will complete questionnaires about their sleep, pain, and daily activities.
Aged 18-75 years, of either sex;
Diagnosis with lumbar disc herniation accompanied by unilateral chronic sciatica (disease duration ≥ 3 months);
Experiencing moderate to severe radiating leg pain (below the knee), defined as a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score ≥ 4 at screening within the past 24 h;
Diagnosis of chronic insomnia, with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total score > 7;
Spinal or structural conditions: lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, vertebral fracture, spinal infection (e.g., tuberculosis), or tumor;
Surgical indications: cauda equina syndrome, conus medullaris syndrome, or other conditions requiring urgent surgical intervention;
Severe systemic diseases: unstable cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, or hematological disorders, or metabolic conditions that may significantly affect study outcomes (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease);
Neurological or psychiatric disorders: major neurological diseases (e.g., epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis) or severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia);