ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To optimize the best acupuncture therapy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and to explore its mechanism in terms of immunology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>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.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>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).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>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.</p>