Papers of the Week

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common chronic musculoskeletal disorder that seriously affects quality of life. The percutaneous endoscopic lumbar diskectomy (PELD) technique was developed to address spinal nerve root compression through direct visualization of pathological findings while minimizing tissue destruction upon exposure. It is an effective and safe treatment for LDH. However, recurrent LDH is a major concern after lumbar discectomy for primary LDH. A considerable number of clinical studies have reported that patients with LDH with radiculopathy could benefit from manual therapy. Shi's manual therapy (SMT) was established based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory and has been shown to have a superior effect in alleviating muscle tension and loosening joints to improve lumbar and leg pain, radiculopathy, stiffness, activity discomfort, and related disorders. However, there is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence to support this conclusion. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of Shi's manual therapy (SMT) and PELD for LDH with radiculopathy.