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Is acupuncture successful in pain relief from lumbar spinal stenosis

Posted by missvikki @missvikki, Feb 14 1:09pm

I am presently trying a corrective therapy device which involves electrical stimulation but after only 5 weeks nothing has improved. I thought maybe I should try acupuncture instead. I am having great pain when walking.

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jfsherley | @jfsherley | Feb 27 4:42pm
In reply to @sequoia "@jfsherley Medicare advantage plans probably pay, but Original Medicare does not. I have supplemental insurance, that..." + (show)
@sequoia

@jfsherley Medicare advantage plans probably pay, but Original Medicare does not. I have supplemental insurance, that will pay if Medicare denies claims. I’m working through this right now. Crossing my fingers or all goes well for that submittal.
The best of luck to you. I’m thinking if stretching works , the acupuncture would help loosening muscles and that area. I had muscle spasms - we think from breast surgery - and I no longer have spasms. 💪🏼

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Thanks , I have the insurance but I cant do surgery because I need rods put in that’s a 6 hr surgery and I’ve smoked to long I have COPD so Dr will not touch me but I also have the stenosis

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mikaylar | @mikaylar | Feb 28 8:46am

Acupuncture never worked for anything for me

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Feb 28 12:30pm
In reply to @sequoia "@heyjoe415 thank you for the info on posture traction treatment. Posture is such an important element..." + (show)
@sequoia

@heyjoe415 thank you for the info on posture traction treatment. Posture is such an important element in resolving back/neck pain. Could you perform this position in your own?

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I don't see why not. You could lay on your back, knees bent and place a support under your lumbar spine, and then maybe use a small pillow or better yet, a rolled ups hand towel to place under your neck.

I also needed someone to help me up after being in this position for 15 minutes. And I'd check with your Dr before doing any of this.

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Feb 28 12:32pm
In reply to @jfsherley "I also need a Rod or 2 that’s why I haven’t done the surgery it’s a..." + (show)
@jfsherley

I also need a Rod or 2 that’s why I haven’t done the surgery it’s a 6 hr surgery and I’m to old now . Plus my dad had rods put in and he was still in pain

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Yeah I've heard of rods being placed in the spine and that just doesn't sound good to me. If I understand it correctly, it keeps the pine straight and it no longer can flex from side to side.

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1 reply
jfsherley | @jfsherley | Feb 28 1:50pm
In reply to @heyjoe415 "Yeah I've heard of rods being placed in the spine and that just doesn't sound good..." + (show)
@heyjoe415

Yeah I've heard of rods being placed in the spine and that just doesn't sound good to me. If I understand it correctly, it keeps the pine straight and it no longer can flex from side to side.

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Your right you can’t bend over anymore

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1 reply
susanjane77 | @susanjane77 | Feb 28 2:48pm
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@delia74 I do not let chiropractors touch my neck or back. With my physical therapist, there..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@delia74 I do not let chiropractors touch my neck or back. With my physical therapist, there were no spinal manipulations other that using a foam roller to mobilize the spine or a wooden body back roller which can rest vertebrae alignment at bit just by laying on it. That can hurt a little bit in the muscles, but you are just pressing the muscles next to the spine on wooden knobs and the spine vertebrae are not contacted because there is a V shaped space in the middle of the roller for it, so the muscles are pulling the spine back into alignment. My therapist also does myofascial release to release tension in muscles and fascia that is holding the body. Muscle tension can create the bulging discs by pulling on the vertebrae. I also do core strengthening, so the spine is better supported. All of that tends to keep the spine aligned as it should be and I saw the bulging disc change on a later mri that did not show a bulged disc where it had been bulging before and there was no mention of it by the radiologist report.

If you have a disc that is weakened, a spinal manipulation can rupture the disc. All I had to do to rupture my C5/C6 that had been injured by a whiplash years earlier was to turn my head when I was stretching and I heard it pop and my head suddenly turned past the prior range of motion. You don't really know if a disc is weak, and a chiropractor could have easily ruptured it with a manipulation. That was probably going to happen anyway because of the injury causing C5/C6 to bulge for years and changes with aging.

If you're interested, this is our discussion about Myofascial Release.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
Jennifer

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Thanks for the link to myofascial release therapy. I saw a Chiro a year ago because of back pain. After a few sessions, I could hardly walk! Went to an orthopedic doctor, had an MRI and to my surprise, I have 3 bulging discs. Fortunately, he said I did not need surgery and they would probsbly not get worse. The point I am trying to make is that the chiropractor NEVER took X-rays or ask where on my back it hurts. He just cared about his manipulations. So, I say be very careful of chiropractors…they can do more harm than good.

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2 replies
Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Feb 29 12:03am
In reply to @susanjane77 "Thanks for the link to myofascial release therapy. I saw a Chiro a year ago because..." + (show)
@susanjane77

Thanks for the link to myofascial release therapy. I saw a Chiro a year ago because of back pain. After a few sessions, I could hardly walk! Went to an orthopedic doctor, had an MRI and to my surprise, I have 3 bulging discs. Fortunately, he said I did not need surgery and they would probsbly not get worse. The point I am trying to make is that the chiropractor NEVER took X-rays or ask where on my back it hurts. He just cared about his manipulations. So, I say be very careful of chiropractors…they can do more harm than good.

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@susanjane77 It's good that you listened to your body and questioned if that was safe for you. With bulging discs you just don't know how weak they may be. Good call.

Jennifer

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Feb 29 7:21am
In reply to @jfsherley "Your right you can’t bend over anymore" + (show)
@jfsherley

Your right you can’t bend over anymore

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That sounds awful. I also realize for some it may be necessary.

I had a ruptured disc at L5/S1 - this was over 10 years ago and I was 58 y/o. I had a hard time standing former than a minute. There was also stenosis from arthritis, narrowing the spinal canal and putting pressure on the nerves. The first doc I saw would only do fusion. I got a second opinion and that Dr did laminotomies at L4, L5, S1 to remove the ruptured disc and remove the arthritic spurs inside my spinal canal. It worked, no fusion and I've been fine.

Now I'm 69 and in the gym everyday. I do a lot of core exercises and that is holding my lumbar spine together. I've been told that any more surgery on my lower back will require fusing some vertebra. I'll take the gym instead.

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Feb 29 7:24am
In reply to @susanjane77 "Thanks for the link to myofascial release therapy. I saw a Chiro a year ago because..." + (show)
@susanjane77

Thanks for the link to myofascial release therapy. I saw a Chiro a year ago because of back pain. After a few sessions, I could hardly walk! Went to an orthopedic doctor, had an MRI and to my surprise, I have 3 bulging discs. Fortunately, he said I did not need surgery and they would probsbly not get worse. The point I am trying to make is that the chiropractor NEVER took X-rays or ask where on my back it hurts. He just cared about his manipulations. So, I say be very careful of chiropractors…they can do more harm than good.

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It seems like malpractice for a CP to not X-ray the back before doing anything. I don't much care for CPs anyway, but the ones I did see took X-rays first.

Finally, bulging discs can resolve and return to normal. They can also be minimized with cortisone injections into the spinal canal - it's not nearly as bad as it sounds.

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susanjane77 | @susanjane77 | Feb 29 9:15am

Sounds like you have been to hell and back. Glad to hear that you are doing well now. Malpractice is an understatement!

I refuse to do cortisone injections. I read too many negative reports. I have worked with PT and all seemed to make my back feel worse. Going to try aquatic therapy now and work on the core as well.

Sometimes I wonder if it is my arthritis that is bothering me and not the bulging discs. But glad to hear they can return to “normal”

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