Combining hands-on therapy, exercise, and intramuscular electroacupuncture for walking pain from lumbar spinal stenosis
Official title: Optimizing Impact of Manual Therapy and Exercise on Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication: A Multi-Site Feasibility Study
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11160739 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $455,197 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AT012534-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160739 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis and related walking difficulties
This study is looking at how combining hands-on therapy and exercise, possibly with a special type of acupuncture, can help people with back pain and leg cramps feel better and walk easier.
-
Non-invasive therapy for older veterans with spinal stenosis
This study is testing a gentle, non-surgical treatment to help older veterans with back pain and mobility issues caused by spinal stenosis, especially for those who can't have surgery, to see if it can make them feel better and move more easily.
-
Fusion versus decompression alone for single-level lumbar stenosis
This trial will test whether decompression surgery without added fusion works as well as decompression plus fusion for adults aged 45–75 with single-level lumbar spinal stenosis.
-
Effect of Irrigation Pressure on Postoperative Complications and Surgical Field Clarity in Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery
This study tests whether the height of the irrigation fluid bag and the direction of the surgical cut affect fluid pressure, visibility, and early recovery in adults undergoing unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery.
-
Microdecompression alone vs. decompression with fusion in adjacent segment stenosis
This trial tests whether a less invasive microdecompression can work as well as adding a fusion extension for people with adjacent segment stenosis after prior lumbar fusion.
-
Evolution of spinal care practices in Bordeaux
This study will track how care for spine conditions changes over five years by collecting data from adults treated for spinal issues at a Bordeaux hospital.
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.