Electroacupuncture for Low back pain. A comparative study of local versus distal points.

Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition causing discomfort from the lower border of the 12th rib to the inferior gluteal fold, often leading to functional limitation, disability, and economic burden. It has a global prevalence of 7.10 percent and 64.8 percent in India, with only a portion of affected individuals seeking treatment. Contributing factors include obesity, poor posture, manual labor, and mental health issues. Conventional treatments involve medications like NSAIDs and opioids, which can have adverse effects. As an alternative, acupuncture and electroacupuncture are widely used for pain relief. Electroacupuncture enhances pain modulation by stimulating opioid release and brain activity in pain-related regions. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, chronic low back pain is related to kidney deficiency, and specific acupuncture points such as UB 23, UB 25, and UB 40 are commonly used. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of electroacupuncture applied to local points UB 23 and UB 25 versus the distal point UB 40. A comparative study will be conducted with 60 participants divided into two groups, receiving treatment for 10 days. Outcomes will be measured using the Visual Analog Scale and Oswestry Disability Index to evaluate pain reduction and functional improvement.