Study: NCT02384928

Intervention type: PROCEDURE
Group type: EXPERIMENTAL
Intervention: Shinbaro pharmacopuncture
Description: Pharmacopuncture is a treatment that combines 2 of the most frequented Korean medicine treatment methods - traditional acupuncture and herbal medicine - by injecting herbal medicine extract at acupoints. One Hyeopcheok (Huatuo Jiaji, EX B2) acupoint most relevant to patient symptoms with reference to MRI will be administered Shinbaro pharmacopuncture.

Intervention type: DEVICE
Group type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
Intervention: Acupuncture
Description: Five acupoints will be needled to about 1cm depth assisted by an acupuncture guide tube with no manual stimulation such as twirling or lifting and thrusting.

Intervention type: DEVICE
Group type: EXPERIMENTAL
Intervention: Acupuncture
Description: Five acupoints will be needled to about 1cm depth assisted by an acupuncture guide tube with no manual stimulation such as twirling or lifting and thrusting.

Intervention type: DRUG
Group type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
Intervention: Conventional medicine
Description: Conventional drugs will be prescribed in an individually-tailored, pragmatic method with reference to most frequently used treatments in patients with a primary diagnosis of LDH (KCD disease classification: M51, M541) according to Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) 2011 statistics. The most frequently prescribed conventional drugs for LDH include aceclofenac (Drug class: nonsteroidal antiinflammatoy drugs (NSAIDs)), tramadol hydrochloride (Drug class: Opioids), talniflumate (Drug class: NSAIDs), diclofenac sodium (Drug class: NSAIDs), and loxoprofen sodium (Drug class: NSAIDs).

Intervention type: PROCEDURE
Group type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
Intervention: Physical therapy
Description: Physical therapy will be prescribed with reference to most frequently used treatments in patients with a primary diagnosis of LDH (KCD disease classification: M51, M541) according to Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) 2011 statistics.

Intervention type: BEHAVIORAL
Group type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
Intervention: Educational program
Description: Educational program sessions supervised by physicians will be provided once a week for 4 weeks.The education program will inform the patient of the favorable prognosis of LDH, and instructions for everyday activities and self-management. The education program will consist of handbooks handed out to each participant, and weekly reminders and encouragement from the physician.

Intervention type: BEHAVIORAL
Group type: EXPERIMENTAL
Intervention: Educational program
Description: Educational program sessions supervised by physicians will be provided once a week for 4 weeks.The education program will inform the patient of the favorable prognosis of LDH, and instructions for everyday activities and self-management. The education program will consist of handbooks handed out to each participant, and weekly reminders and encouragement from the physician.

Intervention type: BEHAVIORAL
Group type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
Intervention: Educational program
Description: Educational program sessions supervised by physicians will be provided once a week for 4 weeks.The education program will inform the patient of the favorable prognosis of LDH, and instructions for everyday activities and self-management. The education program will consist of handbooks handed out to each participant, and weekly reminders and encouragement from the physician.