Combining hands-on therapy, exercise, and intramuscular electroacupuncture for walking pain from lumbar spinal stenosis
Optimizing Impact of Manual Therapy and Exercise on Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication: A Multi-Site Feasibility Study
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11160739
This project tests whether adding intramuscular electroacupuncture and periodic booster sessions to manual therapy plus exercise can give better and longer-lasting relief for people with lumbar spinal stenosis who have walking-related leg pain (neurogenic claudication).
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11160739 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would join a two-site feasibility effort run at Boston Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh that combines hands-on manual therapy and a structured exercise program with or without intramuscular electroacupuncture (IMEA) and later booster visits. Participants will receive scheduled treatment sessions and be followed with regular check-ins to track walking ability, pain, and function over time. The main goal is to see whether this combined approach is practical to deliver and whether it produces stronger and more durable symptom improvements before a larger trial is launched. If successful, the team will use the findings to design a full randomized trial to confirm benefits and guide non-surgical care options.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults—typically older adults—with lumbar spinal stenosis who experience intermittent neurogenic claudication (leg pain or weakness with walking) and who can attend clinic-based manual therapy, exercise, and acupuncture sessions.
Not a fit: People who need urgent surgical decompression for severe or rapidly worsening neurological deficits, who have contraindications to acupuncture or manual therapy (for example uncontrolled bleeding or certain implanted devices), or whose leg symptoms are from non-spinal causes are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could give people with lumbar spinal stenosis better, longer-lasting relief of leg pain and walking difficulty and potentially reduce the need for surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Prior trials of manual therapy plus exercise showed modest benefits for neurogenic claudication, and preliminary data on electroacupuncture are promising but high-quality definitive evidence is still lacking.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: WEINER, DEBRA KAYE — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: WEINER, DEBRA KAYE
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.