Spinal Decompression

What is a herniated disc?

A herniated disc occurs when one of the spinal discs fails to act as a shock absorber for the spine due to damage, injury, wear and tear, or rupture. On its own, this condition doesn't cause any pain. The actual back pain that a person with a herniated disc is due to the shift in pressure from the ruptured disc to the actual spinal cord. This results in numbness or pain.

How is a herniated disc healed?

Fortunately, about 90% of people suffering from this condition heal within 6 months following non-surgical treatment. Doctors usually recommend non-surgical therapies first before considering surgery in order to reduce side effects and complications that surgery brings about. Bed rest, exercise, medication, and therapy for the pain are usually done in order to alleviate the symptoms of a herniated disc. An example of a common therapy is the spinal decompression therapy that is known to aid faster herniated disc healing.

What is spinal decompression therapy?

A very popular choice among those looking to usher in faster healing for their herniated disc is the spinal decompression therapy. This therapy is done by a chiropractor, and is a non-surgical aid to help the spinal column heal the ruptured disc faster than the normal recovery period.

How is spinal decompression therapy done?

Spinal decompression therapy involves the use of a computer-controlled mechanism that targets the affected area of the back and soothes the pain by the use of a series of computer-aided methods. First, the patient is positioned on the treatment table and adjusted so that the correct area of the back can be targeted. The process largely involves the simulation of anti-gravity and the pulling of surrounding discs so that fluid and other spinal nutrition can flow more smoothly into the affected area. This is a painless and gentle process where patients typically feel only a slight pulling sensation intermittently. This is usually followed by the application of an electronic muscle simulation to prevent pain of the surrounding muscles.

How often is this treatment supposed to be done?

Some patients report a drastic improvement after just one session; others feel a huge pain lifted away from their backs after a couple of sessions. In general, the advised number of sessions runs from 15 to 20, depending on the individual case of each patient. Should you choose to opt for spinal decompression as an alternative therapy for herniated disc healing, you can choose to discontinue at any time, depending on how well you feel. If you think you do not need any more sessions, you can stop your therapy anytime.

Many people looking for herniated disc healing therapies go to a chiropractor to undergo spinal decompression. It has also been found out through numerous clinical studies and researches that there is a high correlation between this therapy and faster herniated disc healing. Aside from its non-surgical nature, this therapy promotes back strength and natural healing through supplemental exercises and muscle strength enhancement to support back weight and pressure that may cause more pain.

Spondylosis, or degenerative disc disease causes confusion for both physicians and the layman. Even if this is a normal course of old age, there are younger people that suffer from it as well. Since it's not infectious, technically, it's not a disease but a condition. It can come from genetics or from an accident and there's not always pain involved.

The main "hinge" of the spine is called the lumbar disc. This is gives us the ability to move in different directions, strength to stand, and soak up everyday shocks from such mundane things as walking. When new, the discs are completely saturated with liquid, which unfortunately dries out naturally as we age and gives us more limited mobility. Pain in degenerative disc disease is actually caused more often in younger people because the disc has not dried out but has suffered tears to its tough skin and allowed the liquid inside to reach out and affect the nerves in the nearby lower back. The inflammation brings a constriction in the surrounding blood vessels, lowering the amount of nutrition and oxygen available to the disc that blocks its healing.

A doctor's visit should be foremost on the agenda in a physical and a MRI to determine the severity of the degenerative disc disease. In case of severe pain, the doctor will be able to tell you a few of the causes - pain worsens with prolonged sitting, unnatural positions (to lift heavy weights, twisting to get things, or bending with straight knees), or lying down, walking or even running will ease the pain. This is all because the movements rest and exercise take away pressure from the lumbar area.

If left alone, there may be tingling or numbness in the lower back or upper legs caused by the pain. On the bright side, if no weakness is felt in the muscles of the legs, there may no nerve damage involved.

Non-invasive treatments are preferable since the symptoms respond well to them. Similar to bulging disc treatments, surgery is the last choice. The treatments for degenerative disc disease are pro-active and run the approximately 90 days. The patient is required to rest on a support mattress and do non-strenuous exercises like walking or swimming for 30 minutes every day. By maintaining the correct posture and using hot and cold compresses to keep the pain at bay. In conjunction with physical therapy, ultrasound therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatments, or acupuncture, the condition can be managed. Medications like muscle relaxants and pain relievers are prescribed as needed.

Conservative measures are usually enough to manage degenerative disc disease. Surgery is now only used in extreme cases such as scoliosis or nerve damage. While this can be painful at times, degenerative disc disease is something we can learn to live with when we control the symptoms with a healthy lifestyle and regular mild exercise.

Spinal decompression therapy is an FDA approved, non-surgical treatment for chronic neck and low back pain. It has saved thousands of people from having to undergo surgery or taking strong pain medications. With up to an 86% success rate, many patients have experienced dramatic pain relief and healing with this therapy.

Many medical doctors simply do not know how to treat chronic neck and back pain. They may write you a prescription for a strong painkiller but this only masks the symptoms and does not fix the problem. These strong medications can be addictive and may cause problems in the future. Other doctors may try to steer you toward surgery in an effort to relive back pain. While surgery may be effective in some cases, it is not always necessary. Considering the difficult recovery, time off of work and potential complications, surgery should only be a last resort.

People suffering from chronic neck and back pain who are looking for non-surgical treatment options often turn to a chiropractor for assistance. Chiropractors are experts at relieving neck and back pain without the use of surgery or drugs. They use gentle techniques that reduce pain and promote healing. They also make recommendations for lifestyle changes and exercises that will help strengthen the muscles and expand range of motion.

Some common lower back complaints include: herniated or bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome, sciatica and acute or chronic back pain. Patients suffering from these conditions have found relief with spinal decompression therapy. The treatment is not only safe and painless, but also comfortable and relaxing. The course of therapy includes approximately 20 treatment sessions and is completed in about 35 days. Each procedure is performed with a unique, patent pending physio-therapeutic device and is administered by a certified clinician, specializing in back pain care. The treatment sessions are brief, lasting approximately 30 minutes.

Each treatment consists of a physician prescribed treatment on the Spinal Decompression and is designed to provide static, intermittent, and cycling distraction forces to relieve pressures on structures that may be causing back pain. During this procedure, by cycling through distraction and relaxation phases and by proper positioning, a spinal disc can be isolated and placed under negative pressure, causing a vacuum effect within it. This vacuum effect accomplishes two things. From a mechanical standpoint, disc material that has protruded or herniated outside the normal confines of the disc can be pulled back within the disc by the vacuum created within the disc. Also, the vacuum within the disc stimulates growth of blood supply, secondarily stimulating a healing response. This results in pain reduction and proper healing at the injured site.

Spinal decompression therapy relieves pain associated with herniated discs, protruding discs, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome, sciatica, and general neck and low back pain. Studies have concluded that at some time 80% of all Americans suffer from back pain, making spinal decompression therapy a much-needed component in the treatment of those conditions.

Spinal decompression traction therapy is an accepted medical procedure. It is covered by most health insurance. Keep in mind that your medical insurance may have constraints with regarding co-payments and prior authorization for therapy. These constraints would apply to spinal decompression as well. Ask your chiropractor's office staff to assist you in filing with your insurance company.

Spinal fusion is an invasive surgical procedure performed to provide stability to the spine in the case of degenerative disc disease, nerve impingement and/or vertebral movement (spondylolisthesis). The surgery entails the removal of a disc or portion of a disc and the placement of a bone graft in the disc space that will fuse the vertebrae together. Additional grafts and hardware may be used on the outside of the spinal column for extra stability.

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is one type of spinal fusion surgery often performed to treat degenerative disc disease in cases where a lot of disc height has been lost. Anterior fusion is performed through an incision in the stomach. There are other approaches that dictate approaching through the back or side, but the anterior approach is favored sometimes for its avoidance of back muscles and spinal nerves.

ALIF is generally not performed on people with spinal instability caused by spondylolisthesis (vertebral fracture and movement) or tall disc spaces. In these cases, a posterior approach may be combined with ALIF to provide additional fusion sites.

Risks

Every type of surgery comes with unique risks. Risks that all types of fusion surgeries share are failure of fusion, bleeding, infection and scar tissue.

Anterior fusion carries unique risks due to its approach from the front of the body. One potential complication after surgery is incisional hernia. A hernia is present when part of the lining of the abdominal cavity, called the peritoneum, pushes through a hole or weak part in the connective tissue surrounding abdominal muscles and forms a sac. Incision of the abdomen can cause such a weak spot or hole. A hernia may be visibly protrude and retract when coughing or lifting. If it is painful to the touch or does not retract when pushed inward, surgery will likely be needed to patch the weak spot in the abdomen. Parts of organs can become trapped in the hole as the sac grows and blood supply can become cut off, strangling that part of the organ.

For males seeking fusion of the L5-S1 disc space, retrograde ejaculation is a concern. The anterior approach to this spinal segment puts the surgeon's tools in close proximity with nerves supplying a valve that directs ejaculate from the body. If the nerve supply is damaged and the valve doesn't open, the ejaculate will be directed to the bladder. While this does not pose risks to the man's health or feeling of pleasure, it provides distinct complications with conception. An exact rate of incidence is unknown, but could be 5% or higher, according to Spine.org, for men seeking anterior fusion at the L5-S1 segment.

A minimally-invasive form of ALIF is available that requires a smaller incision and the use of a laparoscope, or camera, that guides the surgeon's tools. While this procedure generally promises shorter recovery time and less scarring, it also poses a unique risk to the great blood vessels, the vena cava and aorta, that lay over the spine and travel to the lower body. Normal ALIF may cause damage to these vessels at a 1-2% incidence rate; risk increases with laparoscopic anterior fusion as the surgeon has limited view and mobility inside the incision pathway. Interference with these blood vessels is a major concern as it causes excessive bleeding.

When considering surgery, it is always important to weigh the risks against the possible benefits. While most surgeons boast fusion rates of 95% and higher, studies exist that put the rate much lower. A small study with 85 participants found that overall fusion rate was 80%. The study also specified results by level of fusion; rate of failure was much higher (31%) at the L3-L4 level than at the L5-S1 level (16%). These are all factors to consider when deciding whether surgery and what type of surgery is worth the risk for your unique situation. More on the above study can be found at http://www.mendeley.com/research/anterior-lumbar-interbody-fusion/.

A Last Resort

Any type of surgery is a last resort, yet not all spine surgeons are hesitant to prescribe fusions. Fusions are mainly performed to relieve pain from degenerating spinal discs. Have you exhausted all other treatment options for your condition?

Unless you are showing signs of major nerve damage (such as impaired bowel and bladder function), surgery should be a long way off. First, months of physical therapy should be performed to strengthen the core muscles that support the spine. You should be tested for muscle imbalances and postural distortions that could have caused excess pressure on the affected disc. A chiropractor or osteopath should check your spine for misalignment and resolve any if found.

Inversion therapy can be pursued at home to increase disc space, or decompression treatments can be sought from a chiropractor with a decompression machine in his or her office. Decompression treatments may or may not be covered by insurance, but they usually cost around $2,000 total without insurance. This is less than the out-of-pocket cost of spinal surgery for most people with insurance.

When considering various options for back pain treatment, be sure you're informed of the risks and benefits. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion poses unique risks that should be understood before anything is signed off on.

There are a variety of ways to apply spinal traction. A description is given of how a massage chair performs spinal traction. Traction is a force used to stretch or elongate joint surfaces. Specifically, mechanical traction is defined as the application of a mechanical force to the body with a method that separates the joint surfaces and elongate the surrounding soft tissues. In the case of spinal traction, mechanical traction is used to flex joint surfaces and stretch soft tissues.

The most common form of spinal traction used is a pulling force. Typically, the patient is laid on their back and their hips are held and a force is exerted on the shoulders and head. A spinal decompression machine is typically used to exert a pulling force on the patient spine by stretching the patient when they are supine.

A spinal decompression machine works on a theory of extending the disc in unison from top to bottom. The machine is exerting a force on both ends of the spine which pulls apart the cervical discs and stretches the soft tissues. This is also the more common thought of mechanical traction.

Another method used to affect traction is inversion therapy. Inversion therapy usually utilizes boots that the wearer puts on. Either the patient is laid on flat table which then allows them to be raised with their feet up. Or the user must lock the boots onto a bar and then suspend themselves from there hanging upside down.

Inversion therapy uses gravity to affect the force. The patient's own weight is used to help stretch out the spine. Since the feet are held in place, the force is applied by both the angle of tilt and the patient's own weight.

Roller tables are used to effect mechanical traction. A roller table is a long flat table to accommodate the patient lying completely flat. Rollers are contained inside the table and are used to apply mechanical traction.

Roller tables apply mechanical traction by passing the rollers across the spine. This applies an axial traction. As the roller passes each cervical disc, it will deflect the disc which stretches the soft tissues attached to it.

Massaging recliners work on the same theory as roller tables. A roller is passed across the spine. The weight of the patient and the angle of the recline determine the force exerted on the disc. Unlike a roller table, however, massage chairs are able to adjust their angle.

Massaging recliners can apply this type of mechanical traction to the spine. They are using gravity as the pulling force over the top of the roller. The roller causes the cervical disc to deflect when the roller passes. The soft tissues are then stretched which is the definition of mechanical traction.

Massage chairs are also able to provide a number of other treatments in addition to spinal traction. Massaging recliners have a full array of massage treatments and programs. Additionally heating elements are placed throughout the chair soothing warmth can be applied as needed. Massage loungers also have stretching of the lower body. Massaging recliners also come with MP3 players which can provide a relaxing environment for the patient.

Massage chairs are multipurpose treatment centers. They can provide a variety of treatments to accommodate many users. Massage chairs apply massage treatments consistently and can be customized for individuals. Massaging recliners have a variety of massage programs both manual and automatic. These massage chairs can also be directed to specific muscle groups for targeted relief.

A spinal discectomy surgery in America is a very common procedure. The risks of the procedure are fairly low compared with the benefit. Granted, there is a risk of infection, bleeding, injury to the nerve being decompressed, etc. but overall with a discectomy spine surgery the risk profile is low and patients benefit dramatically.

Typically the surgery takes around 45 min. and patients go home either same day or next day. When would a surgeon consider doing a fusion of that level and not just a discectomy? Adding a fusion to the surgery increases the potential risks and complications and should not be taken lightly. But there are times when it is a good idea to add it to the procedure.

One of the most common indications for adding fusion is if the patient has had multiple discectomies at the same level. Here is the thought process on that. If the patient has a recurrence of a disc herniation at the same level as having had a previous surgery, the person should have nonoperative treatment pretty much the same as before to try and avoid surgery. This may include epidural injections from a pain management doctor, physical therapy or chiropractic treatment, and medication management. But if this fails, a lumbar disc removal surgery is indicated after 6 to 8 weeks for pain control, especially if the patient is beginning to have muscle weakness such as a foot drop.

When a person has a discectomy surgery, the part of the disk removed does not regenerate. So disc degeneration is the end result. After one discectomy surgery, this is often fairly tolerable by patients and may just lead to mild to moderate back pain on an inconsistent basis. After a 2nd discectomy surgery, often times the patient ends up with severe degenerative disease. If the patient is having a third discectomy surgery, it is a very good idea to include a spinal fusion surgery. This would remove the rest of the disc, and immobilize that segment so that the eventual severe back pain is hopefully avoided.

If a patient is having a first-time lumbar discectomy surgery and the patient has severe disc degeneration with a considerable amount of back pain, simply taking out the small piece of disk that is pushing on a nerve root is only going to help with leg pain. It is not a back pain operation. So the patient has just as much back pain as they do leg pain, along with a severe degenerative disc, it does make sense to consider having a spinal fusion at that level.

This will hopefully address both the person's back pain and leg pain at the same time.

As mentioned, adding a spinal fusion to a discectomy surgery increases the risks. There is hardware involved with screws and rods, and more dissection is necessary to complete the procedure. There are some minimally invasive ways of doing the surgery, however, anyway you look at it it involves more time in the operating room, more blood loss, and increased risks. For this reason it should not be a decision taken lightly.

In America at any one point in time about 1% of the population suffers from a lumbar herniated disc. This can cause disabling sciatica with leg pain and possibly muscle weakness and maybe pins and needles and numbness as well.

Surgery has been shown to work extremely well over 90% of time at getting rid of a patient's leg pain. But the best course of action is to avoid having the surgery necessary if possible. How can this be accomplished? There are multiple methods of treatment that have been shown in research studies to be effective and should be tried prior to undergoing the knife.

The 1st treatments that tend to work well for a herniated disc are medications. The initial medications should include over-the-counter ones such as Tylenol and anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen. These may not provide enough pain relief, so patients may need to see a pain management doctor to receive narcotics along with muscle relaxers and potentially higher doses of the anti-inflammatories. Additionally, there are medications called neuromodulating agents, which are known as Neurontin and Lyrica. These may act to decrease the sciatica pain, as narcotic medications often are not as effective as you may think.

Additional treatment options include those performed at a physical therapy clinic. These are great for helping patients stretch and strengthen the muscles of the back and lower committees. Also there are modalities that can be performed at a PT clinic including electrical stimulation, ultrasound, along with ice and heat. Treatment with a chiropractor may also provide significant benefit asthis may include spinal adjustments, along with rehab exercises similar to physical therapy clinic.

There is a new revolutionary treatment that has come about over last decade called spinal decompression therapy. This is a noninvasive intermittent traction type of treatment that is performed over multiple sessions and may bring significant pain relief. Studies have shown this to be effective over 80% of the time.

If patients are still not achieving significant relief, then interventional pain management comes in to play. This includes epidural injections performed at a pain clinic for achieving pain relief with steroid medication bathing the pinched nerve root. The steroid acts as a tremendous anti-inflammatory agent and knocks out the inflammation which is what is causing the sciatica pain. They have been shown to be effective approximate 75% of the time.

If neither the injections for the medications worthy exercise treatments are effective at relieving the pain within 6 to 8 weeks, then surgery should be considered. Especially if there is muscle weakness involved.

But studies have shown that one year time frame, surgery is no more effective than conservative treatment with the outcomes achieved. So if pain relief can be achieved and the body can be allowed to disintegrate the piece of disc that is pushing on the nerve root then that is optimal.

It is not a secret that bulging discs which occur in the lumbar or lower back is excruciatingly painful. It is also not a secret that quite a lot of people all over the world go through life enduring extreme amounts of pain due to this very debilitating condition.

What does seem to be a secret though is the fact that not all bulging disc treatments require that you under surgery. While a lot of these conditions can become untreatable via the use of surgical means, quite a number can be treated using lesser, more affordable and less intense methods.

In this article, we will be discussing five methods which you may explore as a bulging disc treatment, all of which do not require surgery to achieve; at the end of this article, you will be directed to a resource which will help you completely and permanently solve your slipped disc issues without fail. Let's continue shall we...

Let us expound on the whole slipped disc condition some more; many people make it seem as though bulging disc treatment is impossible. This is not true; while your disc may be bulging, you must realize that that condition can be improved.

In fact, quite a lot of time a simple pelvic traction (this is a method used to stretch the spinal column) or good old bed rest can result in the reduction of the displaced disc back into its normal habitat. Nevertheless, below are five more advanced and effective herniated disc treatments...

#1. Chiropractic Adjustments
This method involves the use of techniques like traction and spinal manipulation. While there are more chiropractic adjustment techniques, these are the two most beneficial which are widely used.

#2. Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a method which has been used as a bulging disc treatment for a while. It is very effective and the origin of most of these kinds of therapy can be traced directly back to the chiropractic arena.

Since then though, many embellishments and enhancements have been effected. Examples of these physical therapies include, but are not limited to, the following; automated pelvic traction, free-weight pelvic traction, ultrasound, hot packs and therapeutic massage.

#3. The McKenzie Method
Most of the blame for herniated disc can be attributed to posture. The McKenzie bulging disc treatment method directly affects the spinal column in relation to posture, dysfunction and derangement.

This bulging disc treatment method involves the use of extension exercises targeted at the lower back encouraging the displaced disc to reduce into its normal location.

#4. The Williams Technique
To encourage the reduction of the disc and the decompression of the nerves, the Williams technique makes use of the flexion (or bending) position. This, as you may have noticed is the reverse of the McKenzie technique.

#5. Epidural Steroid Injections
This method can have numerous benefits when used as bulging disc treatment. It helps reduce the pain and inflammation which generally irritates spinal nerves.

This is achieved by injecting Cortisone into the spinal canal outside of the spinal sac. It is a simple procedure which may require a pain management professional and the use of anesthesia.

FACT: Most conventional treatments for slipped disc only work as a temporary band aid solution; they all fail to work in the long run!

Your spinal cord is an extremely important part of your body as the nervous system is housed here. Much of the pain you experience in your back, legs, arms or other areas of your body comes from your spine. Nervous can become pinched due to the movement of discs or become disrupted due to bulging, hernias or degenerative disc disease. It's crucial that your spine is kept in good health and is treated properly.

Since your spine is so important to your overall health, there are several treatments, therapies, and surgical procedures to correct any problems. For many, surgery is a big word because it means considerable amounts of money and recovery time, and no one has either. So the next best treatment is therapy. Therapies are non-invasive but do require more treatments for correction to occur. Also, there is little to no recovery, which most enjoy.

One of the best therapies for the your spine and correcting discs is spinal decompression therapy. It corrects disc placement which could be the source of your pain. The therapy slowly elongates your spinal cord, allowing discs to fall back into place and heal properly. Once discs move back into place, they will eliminate pain and you will feel tremendous relief.

With any therapy, you need several treatments over the course of a few weeks. It's not one procedure and you're done, as surgeries are, but they are not invasive and you don't have to recover. Treatments improve your spine over time until you feel relief and your body heals.

If you would rather eliminate pain over a period of time, then spinal decompression therapy is for you. Most choose therapy over therapy because it's much easier and doesn't require them to miss much of life due to a surgery. So, it is one of the most popular alternatives to surgery.

Before you start any type of therapy, always check with your insurance agent and see if you can get coverage for the costs. You probably won't get full coverage, of course, but maybe you can get some of the costs reduced. Don't be surprised if your insurance company does not cover the therapy because many do not. It's important to check because you do not want to be faced with a large bill at the end of treatment.

Therapy is not for everyone but it does benefit thousands of people every year. Consider the details and decide if it's for you or not.

Integrative neurology combines the knowledge of medical neurology (the study of the brain and nerves) with complimentary techniques like acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal therapies. There are many different reasons why a person develops lower back, hip and leg pain. The most common are spinal stenosis, sciatica, pinched nerves and neuropathy. Despite billions of dollars spent on research of these conditions, no one single method has emerged as the superior treatment for them. Thankfully, they do typically respond well to a combination of therapies. Stenosis, sciatica and most of leg pains involve the nerves in the back and lower extremities; Integrative Neurology is an ideal approach for treatment. The symptoms may be similar, but the cause of those symptoms varies greatly. Determining where and why the nerves are injured is the most important step to long lasting relief. Only then can effective treatment be instituted. For example stenosis and disc herniation require decompression therapy. Adding acupuncture can often help damaged nerves to repair while suppressing pain. Supplementing the diet with specific nutrients may also speed up the healing process. A specific follow-up exercise program based on a patient's MRI results offers the best chance for long lasting improvement. Integrative Neurology is about offering many different treatment approaches to neurological conditions, combined individually for each patient, all under one roof. It is the optimum approach for patients suffering from back, hip and leg problems from stenosis, sciatica and neuropathy.

There are a number of alternative medicine treatments that can be very helpful in the treatment of spinal stenosis and its symptoms. In this article we consider acupuncture and how acupuncture might be an effective therapy for people suffering from stenosis of the spine.

Acupuncture has been practiced for more than 3000 years. When acupuncture practice was originally developed, many centuries ago, it was based on the concept of energy. Historically the developers of acupuncture believed it worked by moving energy known as "Qi" (pronounced Chee) throughout the body. According to traditional acupuncture theory, if too much energy accumulated in the body (or not enough energy reached a body part) the tissues would be damaged and disease would result. Acupuncture needles were inserted into injured tissues for the purpose of moving energy into or away from stressed tissue. Once energy balance was restored the tissues could heal and repair. We now know that acupuncture works through the nervous system. Let's say for example that a person is suffering from back pain as a result of spinal stenosis. There is a specific circuit that deals with pain signaling in the body. The nerves that carry pain signals from the back to the brain will be overactive. There are also many competing circuits that when stimulated will block pain signals from reaching the brain. A skillful acupuncturist can selectively activate the pain blocking circuits effectively shutting off the pain signals going to the brain. This modern concept of acupuncture has been demonstrated in studies using sophisticated technology called fMRI and Magnetoencephalography. There are a number of other studies that compared cortisone injections with dry needling (acupuncture). In these studies patients obtained better pain relief from acupuncture treatment than from the injection. Acupuncture thus works, for conditions like spinal stenosis, through the body's built-in pain suppressing machinery.