Publication Name	World Journal of Orthopedics
Manuscript ID	117987
Country	South Korea

Category	Orthopedics
Manuscript Type	Letter to the Editor
Article Title	Functional recovery in lumbar spinal stenosis: Dissecting the nuances of surgical and non-surgical interventions
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Haewon Byeon
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number National Research Foundation of Korea - Basic Science Research Program RS-2023-00237287
Corresponding Author	Haewon Byeon, Associate Professor, Director, PhD, Department of Future Technology, Worker’s Care and Digital Health Laboratory, Korea University of Technology and Education, 1600 Chung Jeol-ro, Byeongcheon-myeon, Cheonan 31253, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Key Words	Lumbar spinal stenosis; Physical therapy; Decompression surgery; Conservative treatment; Functional recovery
Core Tip	Ayyildiz et al’s prospective study offers compelling evidence that supervised physical therapy rivals’ surgical decompression in relieving pain and improving walking distance for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. While surgery demonstrated an edge in improving daily living activities, physical therapy excelled in specific functional domains. These findings advocate for a paradigm shift towards prioritizing conservative management as a first-line treatment. The study underscores the necessity of a patient-centered approach, where surgery is considered only after conservative measures have been exhausted, potentially reducing healthcare costs and surgical risks.
Citation	Byeon H. Functional recovery in lumbar spinal stenosis: Dissecting the nuances of surgical and non-surgical interventions. World J Orthop 2026; In press

Received	2025-12-22 08:29
Peer-Review Started	2025-12-22 08:30
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-25 08:26
Return for Revision	2025-12-25 08:26
Revised	2025-12-27 12:03
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-01-15 02:33
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-15 10:21
Articles in Press	2026-01-15 10:21
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2218-5836 (online)
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