Teo Korean Medicine Clinic Bundang Spinal stenosis

30-Second Answer

A middle-aged person who has stopped while walking to check the back and legs

With aging, the spinal canal narrows and the nerves are compressed.
For lumbar stenosis, we check the chief complaint, when and why it began, and what makes it worse.
If there are nerve symptoms such as arm or leg numbness, we check where they appear as well.
We also check past medical history, history of operations, current medications, tenderness, and range of motion.

Please check first

If reduced sensation around the anus, difficulty with urination or bowel movements, or weakness in both legs newly appears, emergency care is needed immediately.

Having to stop and rest again and again because the legs go numb while walking appears not only with spinal stenosis but also with blood vessel conditions in the legs. If the feet are cold, change color, or the pulse is weak, a vascular test may be needed.

If there is fever, night pain, weight loss, or a history of cancer, other causes such as infection or tumor must be checked first.

Checklist

We check the following in care for spinal stenosis.

Main concern

Onset and Cause

Aggravating situations

Medical and surgical history / Current medications

Tenderness

Range of motion

Pelvic tilt and leg-length difference

Cervical and thoracic displacement and asymmetry

Tenderness by spinal segment

Distribution of neurological symptoms

Treatment methods and order

Treatments used

Acupuncture · Electroacupuncture · Bee venom acupuncture · Corrective pharmacopuncture · cupping · moxibustion · Chuna manual therapy · Physical therapy · ICT

Chuna process

We proceed in the following order, adding or leaving out steps as needed.

Pelvis / Legs

Lumbar region

Thoracic spine

Cervical region

Technique

Pelvic Rotation Correction · Lumbar & cervical COX · Thoracic & cervical thrust · JS Distraction Technique · Joint mobilization / Distraction technique · Balance Gun

Treatment schedule

From the early stage of treatment onward

For about the first week, treatment is 3-5 times a week; in weeks 2-3, three times a week on alternate days; then twice a week.

When correction is the goal

Three times a week initially, then twice a week.

Related information

Neurological symptoms

We also check nerve symptoms such as numbness in the arms and legs.

TMJ and upper cervical spine

We assess the jaw joint and upper cervical spine together.

Follow-up reassessment

We review discomfort and symptom changes after the previous treatment and plan the next treatment.

Common questions

We distinguish similar low back and leg symptoms from the signs to check first.

How is spinal stenosis different from a lumbar disc herniation?

With spinal stenosis, the typical pattern is that your legs go numb while walking so you repeatedly have to rest, and the discomfort eases when you sit. With a lumbar disc, pain worsens when you bend forward or cough or sneeze, and it can spread from the buttock down the leg. Leg numbness can occur in both conditions, so we do not conclude from this difference alone; we check the distribution of nerve symptoms during the examination.

If you have to stop and rest while walking, is it always stenosis?

No. Having to rest repeatedly because your legs go numb while walking can also occur with blood vessel conditions in the legs. If your feet are unusually cold or change color, or the pulse feels weak, a vascular examination may be needed, so please tell us first. Recording how your symptoms change with walking and with sitting helps in telling them apart.

Do I need an MRI or X-ray first?

Not every low back or leg symptom needs imaging first; we judge the need after checking range of motion and nerve symptoms at the visit. If reduced sensation around the anus, difficulty with urination or bowel movements, or new weakness in both legs appears, emergency care comes first. Fever, night pain, weight loss, and a history of cancer are also signs that other causes must be checked first.

What should I prepare before my visit?

Please write down how far you can walk before your legs go numb, whether it eases when you sit or bend forward, and whether it worsens when you lean backward. It also helps to note where the numbness appears among the buttock, thigh, calf, and foot. We also check past operations and your medications, and symptoms that changed after previous treatment.

Spinal stenosis, learn more

Explains the background in which spinal stenosis appears and how it progresses when left alone.

Spinal stenosis: why does it become more common with age?

Spinal stenosis appears as the ligaments and joints around the spinal canal thicken and the space through which the nerves pass narrows. Such degenerative changes tend to accumulate with age, so it appears often from middle age onward, but it can also appear in younger people when sitting for long periods or squatting is repeated.

In women, estrogen, which helps maintain bone density, decreases after menopause, so changes in the tissue around the spine can progress faster, and women around menopause need particular care. With stenosis, pain tends to worsen when the back is straightened, so many people walk bent forward at the waist, and we check this gait and posture during care as well.

Is muscle tension also related to spinal stenosis?

When muscles stay excessively tense for a long time, part of the muscle fibers can knot up into a local area of tension called a trigger point. If this continues, nearby nerves may be compressed and lead to nerve symptoms such as numbness, and the longer it is left alone, the more it is known to lead to structural changes such as a disc problem or spinal stenosis.

Even simple muscle pain, if left alone for a long time, may lead to a structural problem such as spinal stenosis, so if stiffness or knotting lasts a long time it is worth having it checked at an early stage.

Answers to search questions

We explain treatment methods for spinal stenosis, what to check before an operation consultation, and the basis for costs.

How is the treatment method for spinal stenosis decided?

First we check how far you can walk before your legs go numb, whether it eases when you sit or bend forward, and whether it worsens when you lean backward. We also assess where the numbness appears among the buttock, thigh, calf, and foot, along with range of motion, pelvic tilt and leg-length difference, and your medical and surgical history and current medications. Based on those findings, Korean medicine care selects among acupuncture, electroacupuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture, corrective pharmacopuncture, cupping, moxibustion, Chuna manual therapy, physical therapy, and ICT. If the walk-and-rest pattern needs to be distinguished from a vascular problem, or if there are emergency warning signs, we will guide you to the necessary tests first.

In what cases do you discuss surgical treatment for lumbar stenosis?

Our clinic is a Korean medicine clinic and does not perform surgical procedures, and whether an operation is needed is judged at a medical institution that can examine and test you. Please tell us in full how hard it is to walk, how far the leg numbness reaches, any change in strength in both legs, changes in urination and bowel movements, and the sensation around the anus. If sensation around the anus becomes dull, if urinary or bowel problems appear, or if new weakness develops in both legs, do not wait for a regular appointment — emergency care comes first. For a surgical consultation, it is good to prepare previous imaging, your history of past operations and current medications, and how your symptoms changed after earlier treatment.

What should be checked first before an operation for spinal stenosis?

We do not conclude spinal stenosis, or the need for an operation, from leg numbness alone that forces you to rest while walking. The same pattern can appear with blood vessel disease in the legs, so please also tell us if your feet are cold, change color, or feel weak in pulse, and ask for vascular testing if needed. If you have fever, night pain, weight loss, or a history of cancer, other causes such as infection or tumor should be checked first. After that, please discuss the method and the timing with a medical institution that performs operations, looking at your symptom distribution, examination, and imaging results together.

While I look into an operation, how far does Korean medicine care go?

In Korean medicine care, we check the chief complaint and what makes it worse, the distribution of nerve symptoms, the range of joint motion, and tenderness at each spinal segment, and set a treatment plan accordingly. Chuna manual therapy generally follows the order of pelvis and legs, lumbar spine, thoracic spine, and cervical spine, adding or skipping parts depending on your condition, and at a return visit we re-check any discomfort and changes after the previous treatment. This process does not replace testing for whether an operation is needed. If there are emergency signs, or if a decision about an operation has to be made, care at a medical institution that can carry out testing comes first, and the scope of Korean medicine care is decided after reviewing those results and your current condition.

What determines the cost of surgical treatment for spinal stenosis?

Our clinic does not perform operations, so we do not quote operation costs, and you need to check the testing and the scope of an operation with a medical institution that performs them. Korean medicine clinic fees can also vary with the type of treatment chosen, the area, the number of visits, and the materials used, so it is hard to give a single figure before seeing your condition. National health insurance, auto insurance, and indemnity insurance do not share the same criteria, and coverage can vary with your policy and the items of care. Please check coverage and your out-of-pocket share with us and with the insurer at the time of your visit.

FAQ

What do you check in spinal stenosis care?

We check your chief complaint, when and why it began, what makes it worse, and your past history, surgical history, and medications. We also check tenderness, range of motion, pelvic tilt and leg length difference, cervical and thoracic displacement and asymmetry, tenderness by spinal segment, and the distribution of nerve symptoms.

What treatments are used?

We use acupuncture, electroacupuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture, corrective pharmacopuncture, cupping, moxibustion, Chuna manual therapy, physical therapy, and ICT.

In what order is Chuna manual therapy performed?

We proceed in the order of pelvis and legs, lumbar spine, thoracic spine, and cervical spine, adding or skipping parts as needed.

What is the treatment schedule?

In the early phase, about 3-5 sessions a week for 1 week; in weeks 2-3, 3 sessions a week on alternate days; and after that, 2 sessions a week. If the aim is correction, 3 sessions a week at first and then 2 sessions a week.

What is checked on a return visit?

We review discomfort and symptom changes after the previous treatment and plan the next treatment.

How do spinal stenosis and a lumbar disc differ?

Spinal stenosis typically makes it hard to walk for long, with relief when you sit and rest, while a lumbar disc may become more uncomfortable when you bend forward, cough, or sneeze. This should not be decided from symptoms alone but confirmed through a consultation.

Is this a place that performs operations for spinal stenosis?

We are a Korean medicine clinic and do not perform surgical procedures. If reduced sensation around the anus, problems with urination or bowel movements, or weakness in both legs newly appear, we first refer you to emergency care and the necessary tests before any discussion of an operation.

Why does spinal stenosis become more common with age?

This is because degenerative changes, in which the ligaments and joints around the spinal canal thicken and the space the nerves pass through narrows, tend to accumulate with age. In women, estrogen, which helps maintain bone density, decreases after menopause, so changes in the tissue around the spine can progress faster, and particular care is needed.

Can long-standing muscle knots also be related to spinal stenosis?

They may be related. It is known that when muscle tension lasts a long time, trigger points form, followed by nerve symptoms from compressed nerves, and if left untreated for a long period, this can lead to structural changes such as disc problems or spinal stenosis. If stiffness persists for a long time, it is good to have it checked early.

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