Objective To explore the effect of abdominal massage on lumbar pain and serum hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2), metal matrix protease-3 (MMP3) levels in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) during recovery period. Methods A total of 90 cases LDH patients admitted to Peking University Shougang Hospital from August 2019 to August 2021 were divided into the control group (45 cases) and the observation group (45 cases) according to the random number table method. Patients in the control group were intervened with traditional back and leg massage manipulation, and patients in the observation group were treated with abdominal massage intervention based on the control group. 10 days was one course of treatment, patients in the both groups were treated for 2 courses continuously. The total effective rate of patients in the two groups after treatment, traditional chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scores, straight leg raise angle, simplified McGill pain scale (SF-MPQ), modified Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and serum hs-CRP, TNF-α, PGE2, MMP3 levels before and after treatment of patients in the two groups were compared. Results The total effective rate of patients in the observation group and the control group were 95.56% and 80.00%, the observation group was higher than the control group; the scores of lumbar pain, lower limb numbness and pain, SF-MPQ, ODI, and the levels of serum hs-CRP, TNF-α, PGE2, MMP3 of patients in the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the observation group was lower than the control group; straight leg raise angle and JOA scores of patients in the two groups after treatment were higher than those before treatment, and the observation group was higher than the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion Abdominal massage in the treatemnt of LDH patients with lumbar pain during recovery period can effectively relieve the symptoms of lumbar pain, lower limb numbness and pain, and reduce the inflammation rseponse, promote lumbar function recovery, the clinical efficacy is significant.