Effects of Wonli Acupuncture Procedure in Patients with LSS: A Clinical, Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background. Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a disease with increasing prevalence due to prolongation of average life span. Despite various treatment methods, many limitations remain unsolved. Objective. We are reporting cases of patients who have been treated with Wonli Acupuncture, a method of treating LSS by directly approaching the intervertebral foramen and interlaminar space with acupuncture needles different from those used in original acupuncture. Methods. A total of 82 patients with LSS were treated with Wonli Acupuncture, and out of those, 47 patients without exclusion criteria were selected for the following research. We compared the pretreatment VAS and ODI scores based on 1-year follow-up measurements. Results. The ODI value dropped by 15.3 ± 24.8 on average (from 35.2 ± 19.9 at the baseline to 19.8 ± 20.6 at the reading) (P < 0.01) and the average VAS also dropped by 19.2 ± 37.2 (from 60.7 ± 23.1 at baseline to 41.5 ± 31.9 at the reading) (P < 0.01). Conclusions. Wonli Acupuncture was found to have clinical efficacy for lumbar spinal stenosis.

<p>Acupotomy versus Manual Acupuncture for the Treatment of Back and/or Leg Pain in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled, Assessor-Blinded Clinical Trial</p>

“…Thus, treating the affected region of LDH with acupotomy is considered to reduce the physical pressure on the nerve roots and activate the microcirculation, consequently improving low back pain and/or leg pain. 36 Inoue et al implemented a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture treatment on low back pain and lower limb symptoms. 37 They carried out electroacupuncture stimulation of the nerve root under an X-ray fluoroscope; this resulted in immediate relief, which was sustained until follow-up at the 3 months time point in two of the three patients diagnosed with LDH.…”

Minimally Invasive Widening of the Facet Joints in Cervical Radiculopathy by Modified Needles: Technical Report

“…The use of KA and BTA on lumbar spinal stenosis was reported before [18]. But this is the first research of KA and BTA on patients with cervical radiculopathy.…”

Effectiveness and safety of acupotomy for lumbar disc herniation: a study protocol for a randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled pilot trial

“…It has been used for treating chronic pain and eliminating obstinate lesions by incising the synechia and removing the attached tissue with a flat-head bladed needle. 5 , 6 Although it has more recently been investigated in Korea, the use of acupotomy has increased among Korean Medicine Doctors. Furthermore, an advanced acupotomy procedure with newly developed needles has been proposed.…”

“…Furthermore, an advanced acupotomy procedure with newly developed needles has been proposed. 6 According to a review of the trends in acupotomy from January 1999 to May 2014, 7 many studies have focused on musculoskeletal diseases arising in the neck and low back. In addition, four case studies regarding lumbar disc herniation reported improvements in pain and disability after acupotomy.…”

“… 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 When treating lumbar disc herniation, acupotomy aims to reduce pressure on the nerve, improve surrounding blood circulation, and recover the kinetic state of soft tissue. 5 , 6 Although several previous studies have suggested the potential use and substantial benefits of acupotomy, 6 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 there is still insufficient evidence regarding this technique level owing to small sample sizes and its combination with other therapies (e.g., acupuncture, herbal medicine, physical therapy). 7 …”