Conservative Inpatient Care for Herniated Disc and Spinal Stenosis
Table of Contents
The need for intensive conservative treatment before surgery
Even after being diagnosed with a herniated disc or lumbar spinal stenosis, you do not need to decide on surgery right away. According to the Korean Medical Society of Korean Medicine and several clinical studies, about 70 to 80% of patients with mild to moderate disc herniation or stenosis show meaningful improvement with 8 to 12 weeks of active conservative treatment. An inpatient setting is optimal for maximizing the density of this conservative care.
Combined protocol of chuna, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine
Chuna manipulation (推拿療法) is used to correct spinal alignment and disperse pressure on the intervertebral disc. At the same time, Shinbaro pharmacopuncture (a pharmacopuncture extracted from herbal medicine) is injected directly into the lesion to suppress inflammation around the disc. Herbal prescriptions are based on a modified Yukmijihwang-tang (六味地黃湯) to strengthen kidney function and enhance the body's own ability to recover bone and cartilage. For spinal stenosis, Ogapi (五加皮, Acanthopanax bark) and Useul (牛膝, Achyranthes root) are added to promote qi-blood circulation to the lower extremities.
Inpatient treatment outcome data
Among patients who received inpatient treatment for disc disease at our clinic, NRS pain scores decreased by an average of 3.2 points or more by discharge, and many patients more than doubled their walking distance. In particular, in patients with a positive straight leg raise (SLR) test on admission, more than 80% converted to negative by discharge. The average length of stay is 10 to 14 days, and combining 4 to 6 weeks of outpatient chuna care after discharge significantly lowers the recurrence rate.
- For: Patients with disc herniation or spinal stenosis who have been recommended surgery
- Protocol: Chuna + Shinbaro pharmacopuncture + modified Yukmijihwang-tang
- Length of stay: 10 to 14 days
- Improvement rate: Approximately 70 to 80% (surgery may be avoidable)