OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the clinical therapeutic effects on mild and moderate lumbar disc herniation (LDH) of blood stagnation syndrome between-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints combined with electroacupuncture (EA) and conventional EA.

METHODSTwo hundred and one patients of LDH at the mild and moderate stage, differentiated as blood stagnation syndrome were randomized into an observation group (101 cases) and a control group (100 cases). In the observation group, the-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints and EA were used. The acupoints were Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Shiqizhui (EX-B 8), Huantiao (GB 30) and Yanglingquan (GB 34). Afterarrival, the-conducting needling technique was used at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and Shiqizhui (EX-B 8); the EA was at Huantiao (GB 30) and Yanglingquan (GB 34). The treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week. The treatment for 12 times was as one session. The observation lasted for 1 session. In the control group, the acupoints were the same as the observation group and stimulated with EA. The EA parameters, treatment frequency and duration were all the same as the observation group. The lumbar back pain score of Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) score before treatment, after treatment and in 3-month follow-up visit in the two groups, the infrared thermogram temperature in lumbar region and the relaxation area under curve (RAUC) before and after treatment as well as the short-term and the long-term therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total short-term effective rate was 89.11% (90/101) and the total long-term effective rate was 91.11% (82/90) in the observation group, and those were 86.00% (86/100) and 89.53% (77/86) in the control group respectively, without significant differences between the groups (both>0.05). The short-term clinical curative rate was 52.48% (53/101) and the long-term clinical curative rate was 55.56% (50/90) in the observation group, better than 36.00% (36/100) and 34.88% (30/86) in the control group (both<0.05). Compared with those before treatment, JOA scores were all improved after treatment and in follow-up visit in the two groups (all<0.01), without statistical significance at each time point between the two groups (all>0.05). The infrared thermogram temperature was improved after treatment in the two groups (both<0.01). The increasing amplitude in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (<0.01). The lumbar RAUC after treatment was increased apparently as compared with that before treatment in the observation group (<0.01) and larger than that in the control group (<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints combined with EA achieve the better clinical therapeutic effects than regular EA in the treatment of mild and moderate LDH of blood stagnation sydrome.