Abstract: Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with massage therapy in the treatment of patients with lumbar disc herniation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 80 patients with lumbar disc herniation admitted to the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University in Shanghai from January to December 2024. The study subjects were divided into a control group and an observation group, with 40 cases in each group. The control group received acupuncture treatment, while the observation group received acupuncture combined with massage therapy. The therapeutic indicators before and after treatment, including straight-leg raising angle, pain scores, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association （JOA） scores for lumbar function, were recorded and analyzed. Results The clinical effectiveness rate was 100% in both groups. However, the cure rate and the proportion of significantly effective outcomes in the observation group were markedly superior to those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. Compared with pre-treatment scores, the visual analogue scale （VAS） scores of both groups after treatment showed statistically significant reductions （P<0.05）, with the observation group exhibiting lower scores than the control group （P<0.05）. Similarly, the JOA scores of both groups after treatment were higher than those before treatment, and the observation group achieved higher scores than the control group, with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. Conclusion Acupuncture combined with massage therapy demonstrates definite clinical efficacy in the treatment of patients with lumbar disc herniation, alleviating pain, improving lumbar mobility, and enhancing lumbar function.

Key words: Lumbar disc herniation, Acupuncture, Massage, Retrospective study