Efficacy of Governor Vessel–Based Acupuncture, Alone or in Combination with Other Therapies, for Acute Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Shuai Yang,* Qngfeng Guo,* Miao Zhang, Weiling Zhang, Shouchen Ren Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Weiling Zhang, Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Shouchen Ren, Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: This study systematically evaluated the efficacy of Governor Vessel–based acupuncture for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and examined whether different acupuncture paradigms or combined interventions offered additional benefits. A comprehensive search of nine major databases identified 689 records, and 15 randomized controlled trials involving 670 patients met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis demonstrated that Governor Vessel–based acupuncture significantly improved overall clinical effectiveness compared with control treatments (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15– 1.27), with a stable predictive interval. Pain intensity was also markedly reduced, as evidenced by a substantial decrease in visual analogue scale scores (SMD = – 1.77, 95% CI: – 2.18 to – 1.36). Subgroup analyses revealed no meaningful differences among Wenyang Tongdu, spine-regulating Governor Vessel, and Bushen–Huoxue techniques, nor between acupuncture alone and combined modalities. These findings indicate that Governor Vessel–based acupuncture provides consistent and clinically relevant benefits for patients with LDH. However, methodological heterogeneity and the limited number of single-modality Governor Vessel trials should be considered when interpreting these findings. Nevertheless, higher-quality multicenter randomized trials are needed to validate long-term outcomes and clarify mechanistic pathways.Keywords: lumbar disc herniation, governor vessel–oriented acupuncture, neuromodulation, inflammatory modulation, visual analogue scale, pain management