Acupuncture for Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition which is characterized by narrowing of spinal canal, the space in vertebra in which spinal cord runs. This narrowing most commonly involves neck and lower back area. A narrowed spinal canal compresses many structures passing through it leading to bothersome symptoms. Nerve roots and spinal cord pass through spinal canal and they are compressed in patients with spinal stenosis.

Symptoms of spinal stenosis are mostly the manifestations of nerve root involvement. These symptoms include sciatic pain, tingling sensation, numbness and weakness of muscles. Moreover, the severity of manifestations increases with time. Symptoms also vary with the area of involvement. In the cervical stenosis of neck area, patient can experience problems with walking and balance. In lower back involvement, sciatica and severe pain is reported on standing or walking. This pain is relieved when patient sits or bends forward. Also, muscle weakness can progress with time. All these manifestations negatively affect patient’s quality of life.

There are different causes of spinal stenosis. Most common causes include overgrowth of bone, injuries to the spine, thickening of ligaments (structures that bind bones together), and herniation of spinal discs. Spinal discs are soft cushion-like structures which are present between vertebral bones. These discs can move from their place and compress surrounding structures.

There are many different treatment options for spinal stenosis. These include drugs, decompression, surgery and physical therapy.

Acupuncture is also one of the treatment options which belongs to alternative medicine and is gaining popularity. There are many research studies which have compared the results of different treatment modalities with acupuncture. In one of these studies, acupuncture was performed twice daily for one month. Along with acupuncture patients received other treatment options including pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine, Traditional Korean massage  and physical therapy. A visible improvement was seen in patients’ condition after applying the above-mentioned treatments which was also visible on imaging like MRI etc. [1] In another study, effectiveness of acupuncture was compared with physical therapy and medication. Groups of patients were given the mentioned treatments for 4 weeks and evaluation was performed after the completion of treatment. The results showed that acupuncture was more effective in treating spinal stenosis as compared to conventional physical therapy. Moreover, it was reported that the satisfaction rate of patients was higher in the subjects who underwent acupuncture as compared to the ones who took medication. [2] Another retrospective research study was conducted in a Korean hospital on 33 patients suffering from spinal stenosis. These patients underwent acupuncture, phamacopuncture, Chuna ( traditional massage) therapy and oral herbal medications. It was observed that patients’ pain significantly decreased after one month use of these modalities. Functionality was improved as well and no adverse effects of these treatments were noticed. Moreover, this improvement was not short term; it stayed for about a year. Researchers concluded that acupuncture along with other conservative treatment options can significantly improve patients’ symptoms of spinal stenosis and quality of life. [3]

Spinal stenosis is characterized by narrowing of spinal canal that leads to symptoms, such as sciatic nerve pain, numbness and muscle weakness etc. This disease has a significant effect on patient’s well-being and quality of life and that is why it is important to treat this disease. Acupuncture is a conservative treatment option for spinal stenosis. There are many surgical and non-surgical treatments for this disease, but there are many factors that are taken in consideration while deciding a management plan. Acupuncture is recently gaining popularity among conservative management options for spinal narrowing for its high efficacy as compared to other non-surgical treatment modalities. Research studies have shown that acupuncture may significantly improve pain and walking in patients suffering from spinal stenosis.

The Sunrise Neuro Acupuncture Integrative Clinic provides safe and effective management for patients suffering from spinal disc disorders. To learn more, visit out Rehabilitation Program for spinal disc disorders and our case studies.

To book an appointment, call us : 613- 853-9099 or BOOK ONLINE

Reference

1. Kim H, Lee H, Choi J, et al. Effects of Traditional Korean Medicine Treatment On Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Assessing Improvement by Radiological Criteria: An Observational Study. Journal of Acupuncture Research. 2017; 34(4): 172-179. Published 2017 November 14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13045/jar.2017.02215

2. Oka H, Matsudaira K, Takano Y, et al. A comparative study of three conservative treatments in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: lumbar spinal stenosis with acupuncture and physical therapy study (LAP study). BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):19. Published 2018 Jan 19.doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2087-y

3. Kim K, Jeong Y, Youn Y, et al. Nonoperative Korean Medicine Combination Therapy for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Retrospective Case-Series Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015. Published 2015 April 29. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/263898