Keywords
Postoperative numbness
Traditional Chinese medicine soaking
Acupoint moxibustion
Clinical efficacy
Submitted : 2026-01-26
Accepted : 2026-02-10
Published : 2026-02-25
Abstract
Objective: To observe the intervention effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) soaking combined with acupoint moxibustion on patients’ numbness symptoms after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for lumbar disc herniation. Methods: A total of 80 patients with lumbar disc herniation who underwent transforaminal endoscopic surgery in our hospital from January 2023 to January 2024 and experienced numbness after the operation were selected. They were divided into an observation group (40 cases) and a control group (40 cases) using a random number table method. Both groups received conventional nursing care, including bed rest and oral methylcobalamin. The control group received no additional intervention beyond this conventional care, while the observation group received additional intervention of TCM soaking combined with acupoint moxibustion on the basis of basic nursing care. The course of treatment was 1 week for both groups. The numbness Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) lumbar function score, and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. Results: Before intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in numbness VAS score and JOA score between the two groups (P > 0.05). After 3 days and 1 week of intervention, the numbness VAS score of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After 1 week of intervention, the JOA score of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05), and the total effective rate (92.5%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (67.5%) (P < 0.05). No serious adverse reactions occurred in either group. Regarding quantitative efficacy indicators, the relative risk of ineffective outcomes in the observation group was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.08–0.68), and the absolute risk reduction of ineffective outcomes was 25.0% (95% CI: 10.2–39.8), further confirming the superiority of the combined therapy. Conclusion: TCM soaking combined with acupoint moxibustion can effectively reduce the degree of numbness in patients after transforaminal endoscopic surgery, improve lumbar nerve function, and has high safety, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.
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