ABSTRACT
Objective: To observe short-term and long-term efficacies of Danlu Tongdu tablets on lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with kidney deficiency and stasis syndrome, and its effect on nucleus pulposus reabsorption and immunoinflammatory factors. Method: One hundred and sixty patients were randomly divided into control group (80 cases) and observation group by random number table. Patients in control group (80 cases) got acupoint massage and acupuncture, 1 time/day. In addition to the therapy of control group, patients in observation group were also given Danlu Tongdu tablets, 4 tablets/time, 3 times/days. A course of treatment was 12 weeks, and a 9-month follow-up was recorded. Lumbago and leg pain were recorded by visual simulation (VAS) before treatment and at the first, second, third month after treatment. Before and after treatment, Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA), symptoms and signs were scored. During the 9-month follow-up, relapse rate and relapse time were recorded, and VAS and JOA were scored. Absorption of nucleus pulposus was assessed, and levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinases-3 (MMP-3) were detected. Result: By rank sum test, the clinical efficacy in observation group was better than that in control group (Z=2.125, PZ=1.924, PPPPPχ2=5.138, Pα and MMP-3 were lower than that in control group (Pχ2=4.668, PPPPConclusion: In addition to acupuncture and massage therapy, Danlu Tongdu tablets can also be used to relieve pain and ameliorate function, improve clinical efficacy, reduce relapse rate, promote nucleus pulposus reabsorption, and relieve inflammation of nerve root.