Efficacy Analysis of Zhuang Medicine Moxibustion in Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation (Degenerative/Protrusion Types)

Objective: To explore the therapeutic effect of Zhuang medicine moxibustion in treating lumbar disc herniation (degenerative/protrusion types). Methods: A total of 90 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for lumbar disc herniation (degenerative/protrusion types) and were treated in the Department of Pain Management at Guangxi International Zhuang Medical Hospital from August 2023 to August 2024 were selected as the study subjects. They were randomly divided into three groups: Group A (Celecoxib group, 30 cases), Group B (Zhuang medicine moxibustion group, 30 cases), and Group C (Zhuang medicine moxibustion combined with Celecoxib group, 30 cases), with a treatment duration of one week. The clinical efficacy of the three groups was evaluated by observing the changes in visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) lumbar function scale scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and serum inflammatory factors [interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] levels before and after treatment. The improvement in pain and lumbar function was assessed, and adverse reactions during treatment were recorded. Results: The total effective rate of Group C was higher than that of Groups A and B (P < 0.05). After treatment, the VAS and TCM syndrome scores of all three groups decreased, and the JOA scores increased compared to before treatment. Group C showed better improvement than Groups A and B, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Zhuang medicine moxibustion is effective in relieving pain and improving lumbar function in patients with lumbar disc herniation (degenerative/protrusion types). It significantly regulates inflammatory mediators, achieving better pain relief and lumbar function improvement, with high safety, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.