title: [Clinical research on elongated needle combined with herb-partitioned moxibustion in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To optimize the best acupuncture therapy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and to explore its mechanism in terms of immunology.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eleven cases were randomized into an acupuncture-moxibustion group, an elongated needle group and a herb-partitioned moxibustion group, 37 cases in each group. In acupuncture-moxibustion group, penetration needling with elongated needle was applied at Dachangshu (BL 25), Guanyuanshu (BL 26) and Huantiao (GB 30), which was followed with herb-partitioned moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and Yaoyangguan (GV 3), etc, once a day. Elongated needle and herb-partitioned moxibustion were applied in the elongated needle group and herb-partitioned moxibustion group respectively. The efficacy of each group was observed after 21 treatments and the value of serum immunoglobulin was measured and analyzed before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effective rate was 97.3% (36/37) in acupuncture-moxibustion group, which was superior to 75.7% (28/37) in the elongated needle group and 73.0% (27/37) in the herb-partitioned moxibustion group (both P<0.05). The visual analogue scale (VAS), straight-leg raising range and motion range of the lumbar vertebra in three groups were all improved after treatment (all P<0.05), which was more significant in the acupuncture-moxibustion group (all P<0.05). The difference of value of serum immunoglobulin before and after treatment was significant in the acupuncture-moxibustion group (P<0.05), which was not in the elongated needle group and the herb-partitioned moxibustion group (both P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The therapy of elongated needle combined with herb-partitioned moxibustion achieves superior efficacy in the treatment of LDH as compared with elongated needle or herb-partitioned moxibustion therapy, and it can regulate the humoral immunity system of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of TCM, Tangxia Hospital of Dongguan City, Dongguan 523721, Guangdong Province, China. weiwenzhuying@126.com
authors.forename: Wen-Zhu
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yong-Dui
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Yan-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xiao-Ting
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Zhang-Jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult