OBJECTIVETo observe the analgesic effect of ankle-three-needle on nerve root pain of prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc.

METHODSThree hundred and eighty cases were randomly divided into an ankle-three-needle group, a routine acupuncture group and a medication group. The ankle-three-needle group were treated with ankle-three-needle therapy, i. e. according to different prolapse segments, points Gentong No. 1, 2 and 3 were selected with lifting-kneading needle insertion method used and the needle was inserted along the skin; the routine acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at Shenshu (BL 23), Qihaishu (BL 24) and Jiaji (EX-B 2) of the prolapse corresponding segment, and Ciliao (BL 32), etc. with uniform reinforcing-reducing manipulation; the medication group were treated with routine buttock intramuscular injection of aspirin-DL-lysine plus saline.

RESULTSThe time inducing analgesia was 6 min in the ankle-three-needle group, 27 min in the routine acupuncture group and 18 min in the medication group. The effect-lasting time was 24.48 h in the ankle-three-needle group, 8.93 h in the routine acupuncture group and 6.36 h in the medication group, with a significant difference as the ankle-three-needle group compared with both the routine acupuncture group and the medication group, but with no significant difference between the routine acupuncture group and the medication group. After treatment, there were very significant differences in change tendency of the analgesic score among the three groups at all the time points (P < 0.01). And there was very significant differences in the changing tendency of straight-leg raising test among the three groups at 0.5 h, 1 h, 24 h and 48 h (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONAnkle-three-needle has obvious therapeutic effect on nerve root pain induced by prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc.