ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of abdominal catgut embedding therapy for chronic lumbago.Method Sixty patients with chronic lumbago were randomly allocated to abdominal catgut embedding (treatment) and abdominal acupuncture (control) groups, 30 cases each. An evaluation was made using the JOAscore in the two groupsbefore and after one month of treatment. The therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.ResultThere was a statistically significant difference in the JOA scale score between before and after one month of treatment in both groups (P<0.01,P<0.05) and between the treatment and control groups after one month of treatment (P<0.05); the total effective rate and recovery rate of the treatment group were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.01).ConclusionAbdominal catgut embedding therapy is more effective than acupuncture therapy for chronic lumbago.