Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of acupunctures variable with stages on lumbar intervertebral dise protrusion (LIDP). Methods 98 LIDP patients in our hospital from October, 2014 to July, 2015 were randomly divided into control group (n=49) and observation group (n=49) according to the sequence of first diagnosis time. The control group received routine acupuncture, and the observation group acupunctured at Ouch point and Huantiao point (GB30) with different acupuncture according to manifestations and courses. Modified Yang acupuncture was adopted in acute phase, triple acupuncture was used in remittent phase, and lateral needling was used in the recovery phase. They were both treated once a day, 7 days as a course for 3 courses with 2 days of interval. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and clinical effects were assessed before and 1, 2, 3 courses after treatment. Results Both VAS and ODI scores improved after treatment (F>7.12, P<0.05), especially in the observation group (t>4.43, P<0.05). The efficiency was higher in the observation group than in the control group (χ2=5.594, P<0.05). Conclusion Compared with normal acupuncture, the acupunctures variable with stages is more effective on LIDP than routine.

Key words: lumbar intervertebral dise protrusion, staging treatment, acupuncture, acute phase, remittent phase, recovery phase