Degenerative myelopathy — pressure on your spinal cord caused by compression of vertebrae — may interfere with your ability to carry out everyday functions. The dysfunction is typically treated with physical therapy or surgery. Acupuncture, though practiced for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine, remains an alternative treatment for degenerative myelopathy. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of seeking any type of nontraditional treatment for spinal problems.
Myelopathy
Myelopathy, sometimes a condition of aging, is usually a progressive or degenerative disorder. Symptoms include spastic movements when walking, numbness in your arms and hands, and loss of fine motor control. Your handwriting may become shaky, you might drop objects with frequency or find it difficult to button and unbutton your shirt. If your myelopathy worsens, you may find it difficult to walk without support, your arms may weaken and turn numb. In extreme cases, you may lose bladder or bowel control.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture stimulates parts of your body, most often with needles, to channel energy where it is most needed by relieving imbalances in your body that block the normal flow of energy. If you have degenerative myelopathy, your compressed spinal column becomes inefficient at sending messages to your body — your legs and arms seem to disconnect from the message your brain is sending. In theory, acupuncture would unblock the pathways caused by compression in your spine and relieve your symptoms. Whether this works remains unproven by western research.
Study
Fang Liu, a researcher at the Jiannan Hospital in Sichuan, reports success using acupuncture to treat myelopathy. Fifty-eight patients with myelopatathy, with symptoms that included dizziness and numbness and weakness in their arms and legs, received acupuncture treatments for 15 days. Fifty-seven patients received physical therapy but no acupuncture. The patients who received acupuncture reported greater relief of symptoms, according to the report published by the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies.
Prognosis
The progression of degenerative myelopathy differs among patients. About 20 percent of persons with myelopathy experience a slow, steady deterioration in their condition, about 5 percent experience rapid deterioration and the remainder have incremental deterioration — function decreases in steps with periods of stability — according to the North American Spine Society. Treatment includes educating patients about their condition, such as teaching them new ways to perform everyday tasks and how to prevent falls. Your doctor may also discuss surgical options and expected outcomes with you.
References
- KnowYourBack.org: Cervical Stenosis, Myelopathy and Radiculopathy
- Neck Solution: Myelopathy
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acuptuncture
- World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies: 58 Cases of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) Treated by Acupuncture, Massage and Traction
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