Chiropractic treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: a review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article was to review the literature on the use of chiropractic for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on 4 electronic databases (Medline, Index to Chiropractic Literature, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database) for clinical research pertaining to chiropractic treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Retrieved articles were hand searched for relevant references. Inclusion criteria consisted of any clinical study design (including case reports) using chiropractic care on patients with lumbar spinal stenosis published in English in the past 25 years. RESULTS: Six articles on a total of 70 patients met the inclusion criteria for the review. These articles included 4 case studies, a case series, and an observational cohort study. Treatments included spinal manipulation and, most often, flexion-distraction manipulation. Numerous other interventions including exercise, activity of daily living modifications, and various passive care modalities were selectively used in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of evidence available with respect to chiropractic treatment of spinal stenosis. The limited evidence that is available points toward chiropractic care being potentially beneficial in the treatment of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, but further clinical investigations are necessary.

J Chiropr Med. 2009 Jun;8(2):77-85. Stuber K, Sajko S, Kristmanson K. Private practice of chiropractic, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.