Abstract

Background:

Acupuncture may improve degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS), but evidence is insufficient.

Objective:

To investigate the effect of acupuncture for DLSS.

Design:

Multicenter randomized clinical trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03784729)

Setting:

5 hospitals in China.

Participants:

Patients with DLSS and predominantly neurogenic claudication pain symptoms.

Intervention:

18 sessions of acupuncture or sham acupuncture (SA) over 6 weeks, with 24-week follow-up after treatment.

Measurements:

The primary outcome was change from baseline in the modified Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire ([RMDQ] score range, 0 to 24; minimal clinically important difference [MCID], 2 to 3). Secondary outcomes were the proportion of participants achieving minimal (30% reduction from baseline) and substantial (50% reduction from baseline) clinically meaningful improvement per the modified RMDQ.

Results:

A total of 196 participants (98 in each group) were enrolled. The mean modified RMDQ score was 12.6 (95% CI, 11.8 to 13.4) in the acupuncture group and 12.7 (CI, 12.0 to 13.3) in the SA group at baseline, and decreased to 8.1 (CI, 7.1 to 9.1) and 9.5 (CI, 8.6 to 10.4) at 6 weeks, with an adjusted difference in mean change of –1.3 (CI, –2.6 to –0.03; P = 0.044), indicating a 43.3% greater improvement compared with SA. The between-group difference in the proportion of participants achieving minimal and substantial clinically meaningful improvement was 16.0% (CI, 1.6% to 30.4%) and 12.6% (CI, –1.0% to 26.2%) at 6 weeks. Three cases of treatment-related adverse events were reported in the acupuncture group, and 3 were reported in the SA group. All events were mild and transient.

Limitation:

The SA could produce physiologic effects.

Conclusion:

Acupuncture may relieve pain-specific disability among patients with DLSS and predominantly neurogenic claudication pain symptoms, although the difference with SA did not reach MCID. The effects may last 24 weeks after 6-week treatment.

Primary Funding Source:

2019 National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine “Project of building evidence-based practice capacity for TCM-Project BEBPC-TCM” (NO. 2019XZZX-ZJ).