Korean Medicine for Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Spondylolisthesis

Patients in this arm will be treated with acupuncture, Chuna and patient consultation during 5 weeks. For acupuncture therapy, disposable sterile needles will be placed on LI4, ST36, LV3, B22, B23, B24 and B25 of both sides of a patient for 15 minutes. For Chuna therapy, the patient lies on the Ergo Style™ FX-5820 Table in the prone position and back muscles will be relaxed by manual manipulation during flexion and extension movement of the table for 5 to 6 minutes. Patient consultation regarding the precautions for everyday life, the precautions for activity in bed, the precautions for walking, the precautions for particular movements and the exercises will be offered for 5 minutes.

Patients in this arm will be treated with 10 sessions of non-surgical conventional standard treatment including conventional drug treatment and injection treatment under the consultation of neurosurgeons or doctors of anesthesiology or rehabilitation medicine during 5 weeks. For drug therapy, muscle relaxants, NSAIDs, gabapentin, pregabalin or tricyclic antidepressants will be prescribe. For epidural steroid injection, 3cc of epidurals will be injected at the affected lesion once or twice. For physical therapy, participants shall participate in conventional physical therapy with the aid of physical therapists, including heating pad, deep tissue heating device and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) twice a week during the five weeks of participation.