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

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.