Abstract:Patients with protrusion of the lumbar intervertebral disc were examined by electromyogram (EMG) before and after silver needle acupuncture treatment. Changes of the patients' neuromuscular function were observed. All patients' spontaneous potential were decreased or vanished after treatment. Three patients with marked decrease of the duration of motor unit potential were found to restore to normal level. Mixed pattern or mixed simple patterns of electromyogram were observed 1 week after treatment in 6 patients, which was in accord with the transient lower limb myasthenia. We thought that the result of EMG follow up study could reflect changes in neuromuscular function, and explicit the recovery of the protrusion of the lumbar intervertebral disc, therefore has considerable clinic value. Silver needle acupuncture treatment has notable effect on patients with chronic extravertebral soft tissue lesion, particularly its long term loosening effect on myospasm. The mechanism of acupuncture treatment needs further study.