Acupuncture for Spinal Stenosis
It’s estimated that between 250,000 to 500,000 people in the United States experience symptoms of spinal stenosis each year. According to the data available, the group that suffers the most are adults aged 65 and older, with woman reportedly more effected than men. This means that one of every one thousand people in that age group suffers from spinal stenosis.
Spinal stenosis manifests as neck pain or back pain, sometimes with tingling in your arms or legs. In some cases, the patients may even experience numbness.
Spinal stenosis occurs when there is a narrowing around the spinal cord, resulting in an irritation of the cord and the surrounding nerves. This condition often effects one of two areas of the spine, (neck or cervical spine), the low back or lumbar spine. In some cases, there can be stenosis of the mid back but it is less common.
The causes of spinal stenosis vary. The most common is from wear and tear that naturally occur as you age. Osteoarthritis, bone spurs and herniated or bulging discs can be causative factors. Thickening ligaments, spinal injuries, inflammation and spinal cysts also cause spinal stenosis.
Traditional western care for spinal stenosis involves applying heat or ice to the affected area, specific exercises depending on the severity of your case, NSAIDS, gabapentin, amitriptyline, muscle relaxants, PT, or steroid injections. Surgical options include, laminectomy, which removes part of the vertebra to make room for your spinal column and nerves. Laminotomy and laminoplasty are also surgical options as well as foraminotomy which removes bone or tissue at the foramen. Interspinous process spacers is also used in lumbar spinal stenosis, and spinal fusion is used as a final option for some cases.
Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can be a highly effective, non-invasive treatment for spinal stenosis with no side effects. In a study conducted by the University of Central Florida School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, published May 31 2022, evidence supporting the benefit of acupuncture for spinal stenosis was strong. Significant research has been done on the efficacy of acupuncture as a conservative management of degenerative spinal disease, and specifically, spinal stenosis. The most promising style of acupuncture, according to this study, is pudendal nerve electroacupuncture. Patients reported notable reduction in pain levels, particularly in the lower extremities. These same patients did not receive much relief from traditional acupuncture therapy. Having seen this very same thing in my own practice, I can agree that these findings are both helpful and hopeful for patients who suffer with spinal stenosis and are looking for a non-surgical option for their condition.