Meta-Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Mongolian Medical Warm Acupuncture in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation

Objective:To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation(LDH).Methods:CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,Pubmed,Embase,Cochrane Library,and other databases were searched.The randomized controlled trials(RCTs)on the treatment of LDH with Mongolian medical warm acupuncture were manually searched in the Chinese Journal of Ethnic Medicine,Chinese Journal of Mongolian Medicine,Journal of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities,and Journal of Inner Mongolia Medical University.The search time limit was from January 2000 to October 2023.RevMan5.4 software was used to analyze the included and excluded literature.Results:A total of 8 RCTs involving 1,042 patients with LDH were included,with 551 patients in the observation group and 491 patients in the control group.The results of the meta-analysis showed that a total of 8 randomized controlled trials were included in the treatment of LDH with Mongolian medical warm acupuncture compared with simple acupuncture(RR=1.18,95%CI=[1.12,1.23],P<0.00001).Conclusion:The total effective rate of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture for LDH is higher than that of simple acupuncture.However,due to the low quality of the literature included in this study,multi-dimensional,large sample size,and more rigorous clinical randomized trials are needed for further verification in the future.

Meta-analysis of Clinical Efficacy of Warm Needling Acupuncture in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation

[Objectives]To evaluate the efficacy of warm needling acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation(LDH)by Meta-analysis.[Methods]Randomized controlled trial of warm needling acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation published from January 2000 to December 2021 was searched by Cochrane Library,PubMed,VIP,CNKI and Wanfang.After the quality evaluation of the literature,the Meta-analysis of the literature was carried out by using Review Manager 5.3.[Results]A total of 10 studies were included,involving a total of 980 patients.The results of Meta-analysis showed that warm needling acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation could improve the total clinical effective rate,OR=5.38,95%CI(3.40,8.49),P<0.00001;decrease the VAS score,MD=-3.33,95%CI[-4.53,-2.12],z=5.42(P<0.00001);increase the JOA score,MD=-5.63,95%CI[-8.12,-3.14];improve the dysfunction,MD=-5.63,95%CI[-8.12,-3.14],z=4.43(P<0.00001);decrease inflammatory factors,MD=-11.09,95%CI[-13.60,-8.58],z=8.65(P<0.00001).And the recurrence rate was low,OR=0.33,95%CI[0.15,0.70],z=2.86(P=0.004).[Conclusions]Warm needling acupuncture could effectively treat lumbar disc herniation and relieve pain symptoms.However,due to the general poorness of literature quality and the low quality of evidence,high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed.

Clinical Observation of Warm Needling Acupuncture of Mongolian Medicine in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation

[Objectives]To observe the clinical efficacy of warm needling acupuncture of Mongolian medicine in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation(LDH).[Methods]120 patients with lumbar disc herniation hospitalized in Inner Mongolia International Mongolian Hospital from June 2019 to June 2022 were randomly divided into observation group(n=60)and control group(n=60).The observation group was treated with warm needling acupuncture of Mongolian medicine,and the control group was treated with common acupuncture of Mongolian medicine,with two weeks as a course of treatment.The pain visual analogue scale(VAS)and Japanese orthopaedic association(JOA)score were observed before and after treatment,and the clinical efficacy was evaluated by the changes of clinical symptoms and signs of Mongolian medicine.[Results]The cure rate of the observation group was 71.7%,which was better than that of the control group(53.3%).The difference in the cure rate between the two groups was statistically significant,X 2=4.302,P=0.038.The total markedly effective rate(cured+markedly effective)of the observation group was 90.0%,while that of the control group was 83.3%.There was no significant difference in the total markedly effective rate between the two groups,X 2=1.154,P=0.283.The total effective rate(cured+markedly effective+effective)of the observation group was 100%,while that of the control group was 95.0%.There was no significant difference in the total effective rate between the two groups,and the continuous corrected chi-square value was 1.368 and 0.242.After treatment,the degree of low back pain,lower limb pain and dyskinesia were significantly improved in the two groups,the observation group was better than the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).[Conclusions]The warm needling acupuncture of Mongolian medicine was effective in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation,which is worth popularizing.

EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON POST-OPERATIVE FUNCTIONAL RECOV-ERY IN PATIENTS WITH LUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC PROTRUSION

Objective To observe the influence of acupuncture on the post-operative rehabilitation in patients undergoing vertebral pulp extraction due to lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion （LIDP） so as to evaluate its efficacy in the treatment of lumbago induced by LIDP. Methods A total of 69 patients undergoing vertebral pulp extraction were randomized into acupuncture group （ n = 35） and control group （ n = 34）. Patients of acupuncture group were treated with routine rehabilitation method and electroacupuncture （EA） stimulation on Zhìbiān （秩边 BL54） and Wěizhōng （委中 BL40）, acupuncture on Shènshū （ 肾俞 BL23）, Dàchángshū （大肠俞 BL25）, BL54, BL40, Jiájǐ （夹脊 EX-B 2）, Shàngliáo （上髎 BL31）, etc., and cupping on BL40, with 15 days being a therapeutic course and for average 7. 36 courses. Patients of control group were treated with simple rehabilitation method. Functional recovery state was judged before and after surgery by using the standards of Japanese Orthopedic Association （JOA）. Results The average recovery rates of 3 months, 6 months and one year after surgery were 49.93% ,90.31% and 95.08% separately in acupuncture group, and 26.24% ,63.42% and 71.36% successively in control group. The recovery rates of acupuncture group were significantly higher than those of control group at the same time-points （P〈0. 05）. Conclusion Acupuncture has a definite effect on promoting post-operative functional recovery in LIDP patients undergoing vertebral pulp extraction and spinal fusion.

Analgesic effects of balanced acupuncture versus body acupuncture in low-back and leg pain patients with lumbar disc herniation, as assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Balanced acupuncture, a single-acupoint balance therapy, regulates the balance of the cerebral center, and is characterized by exerting quick effects and a short treatment course. A total of 20 low-back and leg pain patients with lumbar disc herniation were treated with balanced acupuncture or body acupuncture. Central mechanisms of vaded acupunctures were compared using resting-state functional MRI. Patients from both groups received functional MRI before and after acupuncture. Functional connectivity in brain regions that were strongly associated with the bilatera amygdala was analyzed utilizing AFNI software. Visual analogue scale scores were greater in the balanced acupuncture group compared with the body acupuncture group. Function of the endogenous pain regulation network was enhanced in patients in the balanced acupuncture group, but was not changed in the body acupuncture group. This result indicates that the analgesic effects of body acupuncture do not work through the central nervous system. These data suggest that balanced acupuncture exerts analgesic effects on low-back and leg pain patients with lumbar disc herniation by regulating the function of the endogenous pain regulation network.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE PLUS ATOMIZED HERBAL MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF LUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC PROTRUSION

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with atomized herbal medicine in the treatment of protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disc. Methods A total of 211 patients with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion were randomized into two groups, with 106 cases being in trealment group and 105 in control group. The treatment was given once everyday, 12 days as one course of treatment. After two courses of treatment, the results were analyzed. Results The curative rate was 97.1% in the treatment group and 81.0% in the control group. Conclusion Acupuncture together with herbal medicine for the protrusion of lumbar intervetebral disc was better in effect than acupuncture only.

Acupuncture at the “Huatuojiaji” point affects nerve root regional interleukin-1 level in a rat model of lumbar nerve root compression

BACKGROUND：It has been shown that interleukin-1 （IL-1） may cause inflammatory reactions, which stimulate the nerve root of patients with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion and leads to pain. Whether the clinical curative effects of acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar and leg pain are linked to an inhibition of local IL-1 secretion is unknown. OBJECTIVE： To assess the influence of acupuncture on IL-1, this study was designed to verify the effects of acupuncture at the ＂Huatuojiaji （Extra）＂ point on the nerve root in a rat model of lumbar nerve root compression, compared with administration of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： Randomized, controlled, molecular biology experiment, performed at the Experimental Center, Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University between September 2005 and April 2006. MATERIALS： Forty healthy adult Sprague Dawley rats of either gender were included in this study. The rats were randomly and evenly divided into the following four groups： normal control, model, acupuncture and meloxicam groups. Lumbar nerve root compression was induced in rats in the model, acupuncture, and meloxicam groups by inserting a specially made silicon rubber slice at the juncture of the L5 nerve root and the dural sac. The acupuncture needle （pattern number N3030, 30#, 1.5 inch） was purchased from Suzhou Medical Appliance Factory, China. IL-1 enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） kit was purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., USA. METHODS： The acupuncture group was acupunctured at the ＂Huatuojiaji＂ point, which is lateral to the compressed L5-6 nerve root, with an acupuncture depth of 0.5 cm. There were two treatment courses, each of involved seven 20-minute acupuncture sessions, one session a day. The meloxicam group was administered intragastrically 3.75 mg/kg meloxicam （5 mg meloxicam /10 mL physiological saline）. Rats in the normal control group and model group received an intragastric administration of 10 mL/kg physiological saline. All administrations were performed once a day. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： At day 14 post-surgery, the IL-1 level in the compressed nerve root was determined by a streptavidin-peroxidase （S-P） immunohistochemical method, and IL-1β mRNA expression in the compressed nerve root was simultaneously detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS： The expression levels of IL-1 and IL-1β mRNA in the L5 nerve root were significantly higher in the model group than in the control group （P 〈 0.01）. However, the expression levels of IL-1 and IL-1β mRNA were significantly lower in the acupuncture and meloxicam groups than in the model group （P 〈 0.05–0.01）. Expression levels of IL-1 and IL-1β mRNA were significantly higher in the acupuncture group than in the meloxicam group （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Acupuncture at the ＂Huatuojiaji＂ point decreases the IL-1 level by inhibiting IL-1β mRNA expression to a greater extent than meloxicam administration.

Acupuncture and/or moxibustion for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation:quality assessment of systematic reviews

Objective:In the current systematic review on acupuncture and/or moxibustion for lumbar disc herniation(LDH),we evaluated the methodology and quality of evidence and reports to provide necessary information for accurate clinical decision-making regarding acupuncture and/or moxibustion for LDH.Methods:From databases such as CBM(Chinese biomedical literature database),VIP(China science and technology journal database),CNKI(China national knowledge infrastructure),WF(Wanfang database),Web of Science,Embase,Medline,and Cochrane Library,systematic reviews on acupuncture and/or moxibustion for LDH were retrieved,and the methodological quality of the literature was evaluated according to the assessment of multiple systematic reviews(AMSTAR)list.Furthermore,the grading of recommendations assessment,development and evaluation(GRADE)system was used to grade the quality of evidence and the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses(PRISMA)statement to evaluate the quality of the report.Results:A total of 18 systematic reviews were included,and the conclusion is that acupuncture and/or moxibustion have some advantages in terms of efficacy and safety with regard to LDH treatment.According to the AMSTAR score,there were 4 high-quality studies,13 moderate-quality studies,and 1 low-quality study.GRADE showed that quality of evidence such as total effective rate of LDH and VAS was low and that of other forms of evidence was lower.The PRISMA statement showed that 8 articles were in line with 20 or more of the 27 items,and 10 articles were in line with 10-19 of the 27 items.Conclusion:At present,acupuncture and/or moxibustion for LDH has a good curative effect.More importantly,its methodological quality was of moderate level and the report quality was generally good and relatively complete.However,the poor quality of the original research results was reflected in the quality of evidence.More studies are needed to make sure whether acupuncture is more effective than other treatment methods.

Network meta-analysis of five acupuncture treatments for lumbar disc herniation

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of different acupuncture treatments in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.Methods:Searching PubMed,EMBASE,Cochrane Library,web of by computer Science,Chinese Journal Full-text Database,Wanfang database,VIP database and Chinese biomedical literature database,the retrieval time is from the establishment of the database to January 1,2020.Two researchers conducted literature screening,quality evaluation and data extraction according to the nano platoon standard,and used stata16.0 for network meta-analysis.Results:a total of 69 RCTs were included,involving 6168 patients with lumbar disc herniation,5 kinds of acupuncture therapy(warm acupuncture,fire acupuncture,electroacupuncture,acupuncture thread embedding,general acupuncture).The results of network meta-analysis showed that the effect of electroacupuncture was inferior to that of warm acupuncture,acupuncture thread embedding,and the effect of general acupuncture was inferior to that of warm acupuncture,fire acupuncture,electroacupuncture,acupuncture thread embedding,and the difference was statistically significant.In terms of efficiency,acupuncture and moxibustion embedding thread>warming acupuncture and moxibustion>fire acupuncture>electroacupuncture>ordinary acupuncture.Conclusion:in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation,the clinical effect of acupuncture thread embedding is better than the other four interventions.However,the quality and quantity of literature in this study are limited,and the conclusion of this study needs to be verified by high-quality RCT with multiple centers and large samples.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON LUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC HERNIATION TREATED BY TRACTION COMBINED WITH ACUPUNCTURE

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of traction combined with acupuncture on lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH). Methods:Eighty-three patients diagnosed as LIDH were randomly divided into treatment group (n=42)and control group (n=41). In the treatment group, besides lumbar traction, electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B 2, L 3～5), Shenshu (BL 23), Qihai (CV 6), Mingmen (GV 4), Huantiao (GB 30), Chengshan (BL 57) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) was added. In the control group, only lumbar traction was applied. Results: In treatment group, the cure plus markedly effective rate was 80.95% with a total effective rate of 92.86%, while in control group, it was 39.02% with a total effective rate of 80.48%. The therapeutic effect in the treatment group was obviously better than that in the control group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Lumbar traction plus EA can effectively alleviate or even eliminate clinical symptoms and signs of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON THE TREATMENT OF LUMBAR VERTEBRA HYPEROSTEOGENY WITH ELECTRO- AND HYDRO-ACUPUNCTURE

In the present study, 121 patients with lumbar vertebra hyperosteogeny were dividedinto following four groups for treatment and comparison: intense electro-acupuncture group (Group1), hydro-acupuncture group (Group 2), electro-acupuncture plus hydro-acupuncture group (Group3) and analgesic liquid for spur group (Group 4). It is indicated that the effect of electro-acupunctureplus hydro-acupuncture is the best in the treatment of lumbar vertebra hyperosteogeny.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE PLUS MANUAL REPOSITION FOR TREATMENT OF ACUTE LUMBAR VERTEBRAL ARTICULAR DYSKINESIA

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus manual reposition for treatment of acute lumbar vertebral articular dyskinesia for choosing a better remedy. Methods: 66 cases of acute lumbar vertebral articular dyskinesia were randomly divided into acupuncture plus manual reposition group (treatment group, n=33) and routine manual reposition group (control group, n=33). Yaotong point was punctured, when, the patient was asked to move his or her waist simultaneously. Results: After one session of treatment, of the two 33 cases in treatment and control groups, 28 (84.85%) and 20 (60.61%) were cured, 4 (12.12%) and 9 (27.27%) were improved, and 1 (3.03%) and 4 (12.12%) failed in the treatment. The therapeutic effect of treatment group was significantly superior to that of control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with manual reposition is apparently superior to simple routine manual reposition in relieving acute lumbar vertebral articular dyskinesia.

56 CASES OF DISTURBANCE IN SMALL ARTICULATIONS OF THE LUMBAR VERTEBRAE TREATED BY PUNCTURING THE EFFECTIVE POINTS -A New System of Acupuncture

In this series,he patients with disturb-ance of small articulations of the lumbarvertebrae were treated by puncturing the ef-fective points and reduction by manual trac-tion with satisfactory results,the cure ratebeing 39.3％,the markedly effective rate28.6％,with a total effective rate 98.3％.This method is simple and easy to master,and highly effective.Therefore it is very ac-ceptable to the patients.It is a very excellenttherapeutic method for disturbance of smallarticulations of the lumbar vertebrae,some-times complicated by acute lumbar sprainand chronic lumbar strain.

TREATMENT OF 1000 CASES OF LUMBAR SOFT TISSUE INJURY WITH ACUPUNCTURE PLUS EXERCISE

Soft tissue injury of the lumbar regionis a common complaint in the outpatientclinic.The malady is due mostly to improperposture during exertion of the lumbar mus-cles,manifested by sudden lumbar pain andlimitation of movement.Since 1976,the au-thor has adopted acupuncture combinedwith local exercises in treatment of

100 CASES OF ACUTE LUMBAR SPRAIN TREATED WITH ACUPUNCTURE AT ZHIBIAN (UB 54)

Overtorsion or traction of the backmay lead to acute sprain of the lumbarmusculatures.Since 1978,the author hastreated 100 patients with acute lumbarsprain by acupuncture at Zhibian(UB 54)point with marked results as reported in thefollowing.

Acupuncture Combined with Plucking Muscle Method for Treatment of 48 Cases of Acute Lumbar Sprain

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Systematic evaluation and meta-analysis of acupuncture treatment for residual pain after lumbar disc herniation

Objective:To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of postoperative residual pain in lumbar disc herniation,and to provide evidence for its clinical treatment.Methods:A randomized controlled trial(RCT)of all acupuncture treatments for postoperative lumbar disc herniation in PubMed,CBM,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,E mbase,and Cochrane libraries was published by May 2019,followed by RevMan5.3 software for meta-analysis.Results:11 randomized controlled trials were included in 855 patients,including 428 in the experimental group and 427 in the control group,with a ratio of 1:1.The results of the meta-analysis showed that the overall effective rate of the experimental group[RR=1.22,95%CI(1.15,1.29),P<0.00001],visual analogue pain(VAS)score[MD=1.59,95%CI(1.22,1.95),P<0.00001],Japanese Orthopaedic Association evaluation treatment score(JOA)[MD=5.66,95%CI(2.58,8.74),P=0.0003],the incidence of adverse hair loss[RR=0.35,95%CI(0.18,0.71),P=0.003]were significantly better than the control group,the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion:Acupuncture has obvious advantages in the treatment of residual pain after lumbar disc herniation,which can significantly relieve postoperative pain and improve quality of life.However,the conclusions of this study need to be further verified by the large sample and high quality literature.

CLINICAL ANALYSIS ON TREATMENT OF LUMBAR VERTEBRAL RETROGRADE AFFECTION WITH ACUPUNCTURE,TDP-IRRADIATION AND CUPPING

In the present paper, 70 cases of retrograde affection of the lumbar vertebrae are randomly and evenly divided into treatment group and control group. Shenshu (BL 23), Qihaishu (BL 24), Dachangshu (BL 25), Weizhong (BL 40), Jiaji (EX B 2), etc. are used. In treatment group, acupuncture, TDP irradiation and cupping are performed, and in control group, only acupuncture is given. After 30 sessions (3 therapeutic courses) of treatment, in treatment and control groups, the total effective rates are 91.43% and 71.43% respectively. The therapeutic effect of comprehensive treatment is significantly superior to that of simple acupuncture therapy (P<0.05).

Effect of acupuncture combined with transforaminal endoscopic therapy on pain mediators,neural function and stress response in patients with lumbar disc herniationn

Objective: To study the effect of acupuncture combined with transforaminal endoscopic therapy on pain mediators, neural function and stress response in patients with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: A total of 118 patients with lumbar disc herniation who were treated in the hospital between January 2015 and January 2017 were collected and divided into control group (n=59) and observation group (n=59) by random number table method. The control group received transforaminal endoscopic therapy, and the observation group received acupuncture combined with transforaminal endoscopic therapy. The differences in the pain mediators, neural function and stress response were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results: Before treatment, the differences in serum pain mediator contents, lower limb nerve conduction velocity and serum stress hormone contents were not statistically significant between the two groups. After treatment, serum PGE2, 5-HT, NO, Cor, INS and NE contents of both groups of patients were lower than those before treatment while serum β-EP contents as well as tibial nerve MCV, common peroneal nerve MCV, superficial peroneal nerve SCV and sural nerve SCV levels were higher than those before treatment, and serum PGE2, 5-HT, NO, Cor, INS and NE contents of observation group were lower than those of control group while serum β-EP content as well as tibial nerve MCV, common peroneal nerve MCV, superficial peroneal nerve SCV and sural nerve SCV levels was higher than those of control group. Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with transforaminal endoscopic therapy can effectively alleviate the pain, inhibit the stress response and optimize the neural function of lower limbs in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT FOR KIDNEY DEFICIENCY WITH COMBINED APPLICATION OF POINTS MINGMEN AND GUANYUAN

Mingmen(Du 4),a point on the DuChannel,located below the spinous processof the second lumbar vertebra and betweenthe two kidneys,is the gate for vital-qi.Guanyuan(Ren 4),a point on the RenChannel,located 3 cun below the umbilicus,