Korean Medicine for Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Spondylolisthesis

Exclusion Criteria

• •Subjects will be excluded for the following conditions:
• •1. Those with a history of diseases in the past or in the present that cause ambulatory functional disability
• •2. Those with knee joint and hip joint disorders that severely limit walking (i.e. moderate or severe osteoarthritis in the knee or hip joints)
• •3. Those who has been diagnosed as peripheral blood vessel diseases or vascular diseases in the past, shows an ankle-brachial index (ABI) below 0.9 or is diagnosed as peripheral artery disease by Doppler ultrasonography of lower limbs, if necessary
• •4. Those with severe diseases (cardiac disorders or renal insufficiency) such that the ambulatory evaluation is not attainable
• •5. Those with other specific spinal diseases (ankylosing spondylitis, spinal osteomyelitis, metabolic diseases, severe osteoporosis, etc.)
• •6. Those with severe neurological defects including foot drop or cauda equina syndrome
• •7. Those with spinal instability confirmed by L-spine x-ray flexion and extension views. Spinal instability will be defined as observing one or more of the following: 4.5 mm sagittal plane translation, 20 degrees of sagittal plane rotation at L4-5, or 25 degrees of sagittal plane rotation at L5-S1.
• •8. Those with malignancy
• •9. Those with psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder in the past or present (e.g., panic disorder, episodes of mania, delusion, and schizophrenia)
• •10. Those using narcotic analgesics, including the external dosage form or patch
• •11. Those on medications for respiratory diseases including gastritis, stomach ulcer, and irritable bowel syndrome
• •12. Pregnant women, lactating women, or those planning to become pregnant
• •13. Those who appear likely to encounter difficulties in adhering to this protocol such as those regarding treatment, hospitalization, or preparation for the survey
• •14. Those subjects who the clinical investigators judge to be inappropriate