Clinical and Theoretical Considerations on the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation under the Concept of Emphasizing Both Muscles and Bones

Corresponding author: sunshaoqiu, 54sunshaoqiu@163.com

DOI: 10.12201/bmr.202603.00126

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  Abstract: Grounded in the traditional Chinese medical doctrine of “balancing muscle and bone,” this study articulates Professor Sun Dawu’s clinical reasoning and therapeutic framework for lumbar disc herniation. The pathomechanism is conceptualized as a three-tier structure: functional disequilibrium of the liver–spleen–kidney axis, global malnourishment and imbalance of the myofascial–osseous system, and the entrapment of dampness, phlegm and blood stasis in the lumbar region. On this basis, clinical patterns are further differentiated into muscle-predominant, bone-predominant and combined muscle–bone types, which are dynamically mapped onto an “acute irritative phase–subacute consolidation phase–recovery and stabilization phase” trajectory. Therapeutically, Professor Sun advocates an integrated sequence of “relaxing the muscles, realigning the bones and consolidating the root,” operationalized through a core prescription, Jianyao Yangjin Decoction, for tonifying the liver and kidney, strengthening muscle and bone and resolving dampness and stasis, in combination with acupuncture, needle-knife release and gentle spinal manipulation, supplemented by tailored therapeutic exercises and lifestyle adjustment. Clinical experience suggests that this muscle–bone co-regulation strategy not only alleviates pain and radicular symptoms but also enhances functional recovery and reduces recurrence, thereby offering a structured, reproducible model for the standardized traditional Chinese medicine management of lumbar disc herniation.

  Key words: lumbar disc herniation; “muscle–bone balance” theory; liver–spleen–kidney co-regulation; renowned TCM physician’s clinical experience; Sun Dawu

  Submit time: 31 March 2026

  Copyright: The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted biomedRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
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  1	2026-02-01	10.12201/bmr.202603.00126V1	Download

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