Objective To compare the clinical effects of different duration of through moxibustion on lumbar disc herniation. Methods Sixty patients with lumbar disc herniation were randomly divided into 2 groups（ group 1 and group 2） with 30 cases in each group. The patients in group 1 were treated by acupuncture combined with 60 minutes of through moxibustion

and the patients in group 2 were treated by acupuncture combined with 30 minutes of through moxibustion. Both groups were treated one time a day for 15 days. During the process of moxibustion

the temperature when patients felt heat（ heat temperature）

the temperature when patients felt comfortable（ comfortable temperature）

the temperature when patients feels the temperature drops in the moxibustion box（ drop temperature）

the heating period

the comfortable period

the cooling period

the sensation of local moxibustion intensity and its duration

the conduction of moxibustion sensation in the distal or deep area

the type of moxibustion feelings

and the local skin changes in the two groups were compared. Before treatment

after treatment

and one month after treatment

the patients were scored with Modified Japanese Orthopedic Association Score（ M-JOA） method to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the treatment. Results The total effective rate were 96. 67% in group 1 and 90% in group 2

with significant difference between the groups（ P < 0. 01）. During the process of moxibustion

there were no statistical significant differences in heat temperature

comfortable temperature

drop temperature

and heating period between the two groups（ P > 0. 05）. The comfortal period

cooling period

and the local moxibustion duration time in group 1 were longer than those in group 2（ P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01）. And the intensity of moxibustion sensation

distal and deep conduction of moxibustion sensation

occurance of moxibustion sensation

and the change of local skin in the group 1 were significantly more than those in the group 2（ P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01）. After treatment

the M-JOA scores of the two groups were significantly higher than those before treatment（ P < 0. 01）. In the follow up

the M-JOA score in group 1 was significantly higher than the score before treatment（ P < 0. 01）. After treatment and during the followup

the M-JOA score in group 1 was significantly higher than that of group 2（ P < 0. 01）. Conclusion With different duration of through moxibustion to treat lumbar disc herniation

the clinical efficacy is different

and the clinical effect of 60 minutes as treatment duration is better than that of 30 minutes.