Acupuncture May Relieve Pain from Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal or of the space where nerves exit the spinal column. It often occurs in the lower (lumbar) spine. A tightened space can put pressure on nerves, which can lead to back pain along with numbness, tingling and weakness in the buttocks or leg. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine (July 2024) investigated the effect of acupuncture on lumbar spinal stenosis. Researchers assigned 196 patients with spinal stenosis to receive 18 sessions of either acupuncture or simulated (sham) acupuncture. Pain and disability were measured with a score on a questionnaire. At the start of the study, the mean score was 12.6 in the acupuncture group and 12.7 in the sham acupuncture group. At six weeks, the scores decreased to 8.1 and 9.5, respectively. This indicated about 43% greater improvement in symptoms with acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture.
