Acupuncture May Relieve Pain-Specific Disability in Degenerative Lumbar Stenosis
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 9, 2024 -- For patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) and predominantly neurogenic claudication pain symptoms, acupuncture may relieve pain-specific disability, according to a study published online July 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Lili Zhu, M.D., from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, and colleagues conducted a multicenter randomized clinical trial in five hospitals in China involving patients with DLSS and predominantly neurogenic claudication pain symptoms. Over six weeks, patients received 18 sessions of acupuncture or sham acupuncture (SA; 98 in each group). Patients were followed for 24 weeks after treatment.
The researchers found that the mean modified Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire scores were 12.6 and 12.7 in the acupuncture and SA groups, respectively, at baseline and decreased to 8.1 and 9.5 at six weeks, with an adjusted difference in mean change of –1.3, indicating a 43.3 percent greater improvement for acupuncture versus SA. At six weeks, the difference between groups in the proportion of participants achieving minimal and substantial clinically meaningful improvement was 16.0 and 12.6 percent, respectively. Three cases of treatment-related adverse events were reported in each group; all were mild and transient.
"Acupuncture may relieve pain-specific disability among patients with DLSS, although the difference compared with SA did not achieve the minimal clinically important difference," the authors write. "Further research is needed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on the walking capacity of patients with DLSS using nonpenetration needling as sham control."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Health Care Expenditure Expected to Top GDP Growth 2024 to 2033
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- The annual growth in national health spending is expected to be faster than average gross domestic product (GDP) growth during 2024 to 2033, according to...
Considerable Variation Seen in Commercial Pricing for Surgery Services
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Commercial pricing varies considerably for general surgery services, with facility prices exhibiting greater variability, according to a research letter...
Urinary Metal Levels Tied to Increased Risk for Later Heart Failure
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- There are consistent associations between elevated urinary metal levels and increased heart failure risk over time across geographically diverse cohorts...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.