OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of hallux-trampling (HT) combined with Yaotongling suppository (YS) on the microcirculation at waist region and lower limbs in treating patients with lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse (LIDP), and to preliminarily explore its mechanism.

METHODSAdopting randomized, double-blinded medicine and single-blinded manipulation controlled method, 108 patients with LIDP of cold-accumulation and blood-stasis syndrome were assigned equally to 3 groups in random. Group A was treated with HT plus YS, Group B treated with HT plus placebo suppository, and Group C treated with YS plus mock HT. After 2-week treatment, the changes in score of symptoms and signs as well as the microcirculation at various site-points of waist and lower limbs were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total scores of symptoms and signs after treatment in Group A, B and C was 7.340 +/- 4.627, 9.543 +/- 4.745 and 10.086 +/- 4.631 respectively, which was significantly lowered as compared with those before treatment respectively (P < 0.05). Significant difference of microcirculation between pre- and post-treatment was shown at all site-points in Group A and B (P < 0.05), but only shown at the site-points of lower limbs in Group C, so significant difference (P < 0.05) was shown when compared the microcirculation in Group A or B with that in Group C (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHT combined YS in treating LIDP could markedly improve the microcirculation at waist and lower limbs to correct the nutritional disturbance of nerve root, and the improvement of microcirculation is correlated with the changes of clinical symptoms and signs.