| Spinal nerve root electroacupuncture for symptomatic treatment of lumbar spinal canal stenosis unresponsive to standard acupuncture: a prospective case series. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 22534725 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of electroacupuncture of the spinal nerve root using a selective spinal nerve block technique for the treatment of lumbar and lower limb symptoms in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis. METHODS: Subjects were 17 patients with spinal canal stenosis who did not respond to 2 months of general conservative treatment and conventional acupuncture. Under x-ray fluoroscopy, two acupuncture needles were inserted as close as possible to the relevant nerve root, as determined by subjective symptoms and x-ray and MRI findings, and low-frequency electroacupuncture stimulation was performed (10 Hz, 10 min). Patients received 3-5 once-weekly treatments, and were evaluated immediately before and after each treatment and 3 months after completion of treatment. RESULTS: After the first nerve root electroacupuncture stimulation, scores for lumbar and lower limb symptoms improved significantly (low back pain, p<0.05; lower limb pain, p<0.05; lower limb dysaesthesia, p<0.01) with some improvement in continuous walking distance. Symptom scores and continuous walking distance showed further improvement before the final treatment (p<0.01), and a significant sustained improvement was observed 3 months after completion of treatment (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Lumbar and lower limb symptoms, for which conventional acupuncture and general conservative treatment had been ineffective, improved significantly during a course of electroacupuncture to the spinal nerve root, showing sustained improvement even 3 months after completion of treatment. The mechanisms of these effects may involve activation of the pain inhibition system and improvement of nerve blood flow. |
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Authors:
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Motohiro Inoue; Miwa Nakajima; Tatsuya Hojo; Hiroshi Kitakoji; Megumi Itoi |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2012-4-25 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society Volume: - ISSN: 1759-9873 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2012 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2012-4-26 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9304117 Medline TA: Acupunct Med Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
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1Department of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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