Acupuncture and Spinal Stenosis: Considerations for Treatment

Abstract

Acupuncture has been a staple of Eastern medicine for thousands of years. Recent evidence has shown that the benefits for spinal stenosis are strong. In this comprehensive review, the history and available literature will be reviewed. In addition, how the techniques have evolved, and their clinical utility will be discussed. The process and progression of spinal stenosis are addressed. The mechanism of action for acupuncture and the relevant treatment implications will be discussed. This is important in alleviating pain and providing a good quality of life. The findings in the pre-operative, peri-operative, and postoperative periods are highlighted. Finally, the preclinical data provide compelling evidence for novel pathways to be targeted. This resource could serve as a user-friendly guide for the clinician and scientist on this important topic. It might be the catalyst of ongoing investigation from clinical and preclinical sides.

Keywords

Spinal stenosis / Acupuncture / Endocannabinoids / Novel treatment / Conservative

management

Acknowledgments

None.

Funding

None.

Conflict of interest

Dr. Lucke-Wold has been an editorial board member of Future In-tegrative Medicine. The authors have no others to disclose.

Author contributions

AC wrote and organized the manuscript, BL conceptualized and critical editing. All authors have made a significant contribution to this article and have approved the final manuscript.

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