This study aimed for the analysis of the effect of acupuncture and
moxibustion combined with needle-knife on
pain and lumbar function in patients with lumbar
disc herniation. From June 2019 to February 2021, the medical records of 126 patients with lumbar
disc herniation admitted to the department of orthopedics of our hospital were selected and divided into the control group (n = 63) treated with acupuncture and
moxibustion and the observation group (n = 63) treated with acupuncture and
moxibustion combined with needle-knife according to different treatment regimens. After 4 weeks of treatment, the clinical efficacy,
pain status, and lumbar function were compared between the two groups. The concentrations of relevant inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and MMP-2) in peripheral blood of the two patients before and
after treatment were measured by
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
After treatment, the overall response rate was 93.65% in the observation group, which was higher than 80.95% in the control group (P < 0.05); the visual blurred score (VAS) scores of lower limbs and waist in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while the expression of
pain mediators
serotonin (5-HT) and
prostaglandin E2 (PEG2) was also lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05); the Oswestry disability index (ODI) in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, while the Japanese Orthopedic Association assessment treatment score (JOA) was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05).
After treatment, the concentration levels in peripheral blood (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and MMP-2) were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Acupuncture and
moxibustion combined with needle-knife is effective in the treatment of lumbar
disc herniation, which helps to improve the clinical efficacy, relieve
pain symptoms, promote the improvement of lumbar function, and contribute to the reduction of inflammatory factors.