Research Article

A 3-Arm, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Heat-Sensitive Moxibustion Therapy to Determine Superior Effect among Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of participants.

ItemsHeat-sensitive moxibustion Conventional moxibustion Conventional drug plus acupuncture
groupgroupgroup

Age, mean (SD), years45.5 (10.6)47.3 (11.2)46.6 (10.5)
Age, min~max, years18~5920~5818~59
Age, >60 y, (%)9 (5.92)10 (6.6)9 (5.92)
Sex (%)
 Female78 (51.3)80 (52.6)81 (53.3)
 Male74 (48.7)72 (47.4)71 (46.7)
Duration of pain (%)
 <1 m32 (21.1)30 (19.7)30 (19.7)
 2~6 m40 (26.3)42 (27.6)43 (28.2)
 7~12 m40 (26.3)33 (21.7)31 (20.3)
 1~5 y33 (21.7)38 (25.1)40 (26.3)
 >5 y7 (4.6)9 (5.9)8 (5.2)
BMI, mean (SD), kg/m′22.2 (3.3)22.4 (3.1)21.1 (4.0)
BMI, min~max, kg/m′14.3~30.116.2~29.213.1~28.9
M-JOA score (%)
 Severe115 (75.6)113 (73.4)119 (78.3)
 Moderate37 (24.4)39 (25.6)33 (21.7)
M-JOA score, mean (SD)18.6 (3.8)17.5 (3.3)17.2 (4.4)

BMI, Body Mass Index; M-JOA, Improvement Japanese Orthopedic Association (M-JOA) Lumbago Score Scale; SD, standard deviation; LDH, lumbar disc herniation.