Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of silver needle diathermy combined with three⁃dimensional traction in the treatment of middle⁃aged and elderly patients with grade Ⅰ degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS). Methods A total of 120 middle⁃aged and elderly patients with grade Ⅰ DLS were selected as the research subjects, and they were randomly divided into traction group, traction analgesia group or traction silver needle group, with 40 cases in each group. The traction group was treated with three⁃dimensional traction, the traction analgesia group was treated with three⁃dimensional traction combined with oral Ibuprofen Sustained⁃release Capsule, and the traction silver needle group was treated with three⁃dimensional traction combined with silver needle diathermy. The lumbosacral angle, sacral slope, lumbar spondylolisthesis angle, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and Oswestry disability index (ODI) before and after treatment were compared between the three groups, and therapeutic effect in the three groups was evaluated. Results Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in lumbosacral angle, sacral slope, lumbar spondylolisthesis angle, VAS score and ODI between the three groups (P>0.05). At each time point after treatment, the aforementioned indices of the three groups were superior to compare with before treatment (P<0.05). The traction silver needle group exhibited smaller lumbosacral angle at each time point after treatment, lumbar spondylolisthesis angle at each time point after treatment and smaller sacral slope at various time points after discharge, as well as lower VAS score and ODI after 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge as compared with the traction and traction analgesia groups (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the traction silver needle group was higher than that in the traction group and the traction analgesia group (P<0.05). Conclusion Silver needle diathermy combined with three⁃dimensional traction can significantly ameliorate the symptoms of low back pain and lumbar vetebra function in middle⁃aged and elderly patients with grade Ⅰ DLS, the effect of reduction of spondylolisthesis is exact, and the effect is lasting and stable, which is worthy of promotion.