The use of acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (сlinical case)

Abstract

Abstract. The effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of discogenic compression radiculopathy has been proven in many scientific works. Acupuncture has a positive effect not only on the course of radiculopathy, but also on the size of the hernias and protrusions of the intervertebral discs themselves. Purpose. To study the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of intervertebral disc herniation in the lumbar region. Material and methods. Before and after treatment (after 3 and 6 months), the patient was assessed: neurological status, results of an electrokymographic study of peripheral nerves of the lower extremities, MRI of the spine. Acupuncture was carried out at acupuncture points of the meridian of the stomach, bladder, gallbladder, colon, for a course of 40 procedures. Results. A 40‑year-old patient suffered from prolonged pain for 8 months. Conservative treatment with drug therapy and physical therapy did not provide satisfactory improvement in symptoms. On MRI of the PC department, the IVD herniation at the L4 — L5 level was 12 mm. When using acupuncture, the pain syndrome decreased clearly after the first sessions. Sensory disturbances and motor deficits gradually regressed. After 40 sessions over 3 months, electromyographic indicators of the affected right peroneal nerve improved. An unexpected result was a reduction in the size of the IVD hernia by 50 % to 6 mm.