Effects of oral OsteoKing on pain, lumbar function, and inflammatory markers in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

To investigate the effects of oral administration of OsteoKing on pain, lumbar spine function, and serological indicators in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information of 266 LDH patients treated at Jilin Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences between October 2023 and March 2024. According to treatment method, patients were divided into the conventional group (Celecoxib treatment) and the OsteoKing group (OsteoKing). Clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups, and ordinal logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influencing the therapeutic efficacy of OsteoKing. After treatment, the OsteoKing group demonstrated significantly better treatment outcomes and greater improvement in lumbar spine function compared to the conventional group (P<0.05). Scores on the McGill Pain Questionnaire Short Form (SF-MPQ) were markedly lower in the OsteoKing group than those in the conventional group (P<0.05). Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the OsteoKing group greatly decreased, while the level of β-endorphin significantly increased, and the change amplitude was greater than that in the conventional group (P<0.05). Quality of life, assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF), improved more substantially in the OsteoKing group (P<0.05). Treatment satisfaction was also higher in the OsteoKing group compared with the conventional group (93.23% vs. 84.21%). Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, and pre-treatment JOA score did not significantly influence the therapeutic effect of OsteoKing (all P>0.05). OsteoKing effectively alleviates pain, improves lumbar spine function, and reduces serum inflammatory factor levels in patients with LDH, thereby mitigating inflammatory responses. Additionally, OsteoKing significantly enhances patients' quality of life, with high safety and good patient satisfaction, supporting its clinical value as a therapeutic option.