BMJ
Volume 32, Issue 5
Levent Tekin
In November 2013, a 37-year-old woman with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) presented with pain in her lower back, right hip and leg, persisting for 2 years. She also had a pricking sensation radiating from the hip to the foot. On examination, she had hypoaesthesia on the right side, on the dermatome consistent with S1 radiculopathy. A straight leg raise test was positive at 35°. The strength of dorsiflexion of the toe was 4/5. Neurological examination and laboratory findings were otherwise normal. The patient had received two courses of physical therapy. Upon detailed questioning, she also reported a history of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastric bleeding 2 months previously. The patient was vulnerable and anxious and complained of a decreased quality of life. Surgery was offered following an updated MRI which showed a large herniated disc at the L5/S1 level (figure 1A,B), but she refused. We, therefore, decided to perform auricular acupuncture (AA) after obtaining oral and written informed consent….