Can herbs and spinal manipulation ease chronic back pain? new study investigates

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with radiating leg pain or low back pain (LBP) intensity of NRS ≥5 * Patients diagnosed with lumbar stenosis based on dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCA) of \<100 mm2 or morphological grading ≥B as assessed on MRI; or patients diagnosed with lumbar spondylolisthesis based on Meyerding Grade Ⅱ or higher as assessed on X-ray * Clear neurogenic claudication symptoms (symptoms aggravated with walking, and alleviated upon resting in lumbar flexion position), if lumbar stenosis patient * Patients with plans of receiving Korean medicine treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis for ≥4 months * Patients who have agreed to study participation Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with vascular claudication * Patients with other systemic diseases that may interfere with treatment effect or outcome interpretation * Patients with soft tissue pathologies or pathologies of non-spinal origin that may cause LBP or radiating leg pain (e.g. spinal tumor, rheumatoid arthritis) * Patients for whom acupuncture treatment may be inappropriate or unsafe (e.g. hemorrhagic diseases, blood clotting disorders, history of anti-coagulation medicine intake, serious diabetes with risk of infection, severe cardiovascular diseases, or other conditions deemed unsuitable for acupuncture treatment) * Patients with medical history of spinal surgery within the past 3 months * Patients who were treated with invasive interventions such as Korean medicine treatment, injections, physical therapy, or with medicine that may potentially influence pain such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs) within the past week * Pregnant patients or patients planning pregnancy * Patients with serious psychological disorders * Previous participation in other clinical studies within 1 month of current study enrollment, or plans to participate in other clinical studies during participation (including follow-up period) of the current study after study enrollment * Patients unable to fill out study participation consent form * Patients deemed unsuitable for study participation as assessed by the researchers