Clinical effects of acupuncture after surgical operation in patients with prolapse of the lumbar intervertebral disc.

METHODS: Sixty-nine patients in this series, who had undergone the removal of nucleus pulposus and the intervertebral fusion as well, were randomly divided into a treatment group of 35 cases and a control group of 34 cases. The former was treated by acupuncture and conventional rehabilitation therapy, and the latter only by the rehabilitation therapy. RESULTS: In the treatment group, the average functional recovery rates in 3-month, 6-month and one-year periods were respectively 49.93%, 90.31% and 95.08%; while the rates were respectively 26.24%, 63.42% and 71.36% in the control group, showing statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Acupuncture can confirmatively promote the functional recovery for patients with prolapse of the lumbar intervertebral disc after surgical removal of nucleus pulposus and with intervertebral fusion.