To evaluate the clinical efficacy of lumbar spine warming needle moxibustion of Jiaji and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fumigation combined with conventional western medicine therapy on patients with acute inflammatory period of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Randomized controlled trial. A total of 140 patients with acute inflammation of LDH in our hospital from December 2019 to December 2021 were selected as observational objects, and the patients meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into 2 groups with 70 patients in each group by random number table method. The control group was treated with conventional western medicine therapy, and the observational group was treated with warming needle moxibustion of Jiaji combined with TCM fumigation on the basis of control group treatment. Both groups received continuous treatment for 1 month. TCM syndrome scores were performed before and after treatment, the degree of lumbar pain was assessed by VAS, the degree of lumbar dysfunction was assessed by Japanese Orthopaedic Association Evaluation Treatment (JOA score), and serum CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured by ELISA.

The total effective rate was 95.71% (67/70) in the observation group and 82.86% (58/70) in the control group, and there was significant difference between the two groups (χ²=6.05, P=0.014). After treatment, TCM syndrome score [(4.45±1.09) vs. (10.67±2.82), t=16.85], VAS score [(1.54±0.43) vs. (3.28±1.04), t=12.94] lower than those in the control group (P<0.01), subjective feeling [(7.54±2.87) vs. (6.24±1.76), t=5.72], physical signs [(6.76±2.00) vs. (4.34±1.67), t=7.77], limited daily activities [(9.56±3.27) vs. (7.89±2.97), t=3.16], bladder function score [(2.88±0.84) vs. (2.63±0.64), t=2.89] and the total score [(25.04±7.44) vs. (20.35±6.87), t=4.63] were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, serum IL-6 [(18.12±4.23) μg/L vs. (26.46±4.58) μg/L, t=11.19], CRP [(18.87±6.07) mg/L vs. (25.89±5.72) mg/L, t=7.04] and TNF-α levels [(24.42±5.37) ng/L vs. (29.45±5.44) ng/L, t=5.51] were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01).

The warming needle moxibustion of Jiaji and TCM fumigation combined with conventional western medicine therapy can improve the lumbar pain of LDH patients in acute inflammatory stage, reduce the level of inflammatory factors, improve clinical efficacy.

Intervertebral disc displacement; Lumbar vertebrae; Acupuncture therapy; Needle warming therapy; Steaming washing therapy