Abstract
Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is an increasing health problem. The object of the randomized controlled trial was designed to investigate the effects of Chinese massage and acupuncture for LDH. A total of 110 patients with LDH were randomly assigned to experimental group with Chinese massage and acupuncture or control group with intermediate frequency electric pulse therapy. The primary outcome was pain by the visual analog scale of pain (VASP). The secondary outcome was LDH severity by Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Score and the quality of life (QL) evaluated by the SF-36 Questionnaire. The outcomes have been assessed at baseline, 3 weeks and 3 months. The results indicated that the experimental group experienced significant reduction in VASP compared with control group (p < 0.001). The reduction in pain was significantly greater; as for the JOA Score and QL, the experimental group was effective after the interventions and in the follow-up assessment (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that Chinese massage and acupuncture may be a beneficial complementary and alternative therapy for LDH.
None declared