Objective:To observe the clinical effects of aligned needling therapy for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH).
Methods:A total of 80 cases with LIDH in conformity with the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group or a control group by their visit order, 40 cases in each group. The points from the Governor Vessel, L1-L5 Jiaji (EX-B 2) points, from the first lateral line of the Bladder Meridian, Huantiao (GB 30), Weizhong (BL 40) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) were selected for acupuncture in the treatment group. Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), Ashi (Extra) points and Weizhong (BL 40) were used for routine acupuncture in the control group. The clinical effects of the two groups after 2-course treatments and recurrence rates three months later were observed. The pain severity before and after treatments was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS). The improvement of the patient’s pathological situation was evaluated by the performance assessment of lumbar disease treatment from Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA).
Results:After the treatment for two courses, there was no dropped-out case in the two groups. The curative rates and total effective rates were respectively 32.5% and 92.5% in the treatment group versus respectively 12.5% and 82.5% in the control group. The differences in the curative rates and total effective rates between the two groups were statistically significant (bothP<0.01). After the treatment, VAS and JOA scores remarkably declined in the patients of the two groups, with statistical differences in comparison with those of the same group before treatment (bothP<0.05). In follow-up check of three months, the recurrence rate was 10.7% in the cured and remarkably effective cases in the treatment group and was 29.4% in the control group. The recurrence rates of the two groups were statistically different (P<0.05).
Conclusion:The aligned needling technique is remarkable in the clinical effects, obvious in the analgesic effects and low in the recurrence rate in the treatment of LIDH.