RESUMEN
Objective: To observe the short-term and long-term efficacy of acupuncture and traction plus Ba Duan Jin (Eight-brocade Exercise) in treating discogenic low back pain (DLBP). Methods: Sixty patients were divided into an observation group and a control group using the random number table method, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by acupuncture and traction, while the observation group was given additional Ba Duan Jin (Eight-brocade Exercise) practice. The intervention lasted for a total of 1 month, with a follow-up study conducted 6 months later. The visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores in the two groups were compared before and after treatment, and the efficacy was compared at the end of the treatment between the two groups; the relapse rate was compared at the 6-month follow-up between the two groups. Results: The pain VAS and ODI scores decreased after treatment in both groups, and the intra-group differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05); the pain VAS and ODI scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group after treatment with statistical significance (both P<0.05). At the 6-month follow-up, the relapse rate was 10.3％ in the observation group versus 48.0％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The combination of acupuncture, traction and Ba Duan Jin (Eight-brocade Exercise) is an effective method for DLBP and patients who received this method are less likely to relapse.