Lumbar spinal stenosis and its related back pain is common
and troubling for its sufferers. Dementia, neurogenic
claudication, reduced walking distance, poor balance, reduced
quality of life, and altered posture often attend spinal
stenosis. Disc herniations, disc degeneration, and other spinal canal space invaders
invite spinal stenosis. At Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation, Tonawanda spinal stenosis patients
who want to uninvite spinal stenosis have someone by their side.
THE IMPACT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Research keeps presenting lumbar
spinal stenosis as being linked to issues like dementia
development, walking capacity, and reduced quality of life. A new
study stated that lumbar spinal stenosis was an independent risk
factor for acquiring dementia. Of 1220 patients, 10.8% of the
lumbar spinal stenosis patients experienced dementia as
opposed to only 4.4% of the control group members. (1) Older
adults with lumbar spinal stenosis were described as changing
their posture with a forward bend to improve their ability and
tolerance for walking. Researchers who studied this
phenomenon found that this posture was more of a forward shift of the pelvis while
standing and walking. They concluded
that limited walking in symptomatic spinal stenosis patients was more related to spine loading which increased 7%. (2) Whatever
it is linked to, reduced walking ability isn’t good. Someday it will be nice to understand more clearly the role of stenosis
in relationship to inhibited walking, but for now,
Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation will continue to encourage walking for
spinal stenosis patients, slow and steady and distance furthered
as able.
THE TREATMENT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS: Walk
Since spinal stenosis is so common a condition in older
folks, multiple guidelines and articles are published
and with good reason. Decreased ability to walk
and quality of life are documented side-effects of lumbar spinal
stenosis. These two issues persist as the main
gauges for back surgery in older sufferers.
Sadly, 40% of those who undergo spinal surgery for the lumbar spinal stenosis still
state walking issues post-surgery. (3) Recommendation 1 of a newer guideline for dealing with lumbar spinal stenosis and related
neurogenic claudication suggested non-surgical multimodal care
to consist of non-drug therapy with education, advice, lifestyle
changes, home exercise, manual therapy, acupuncture (trial), rehab, and therapy.
(4) An update to the 2013 Cochrane review of research studies on
the outcomes of treatments for lumbar spine stenosis related neurogenic
claudication that reduced walking revealed
that manual therapy and exercise to increase walking distance
together was a beneficial treatment method.
Epidural steroids weren’t. (5) Conservative, non-surgical care
of Tonawanda spinal stenosis is endorsed by spine researchers and by
Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation.
CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Nate McKee on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management for a patient with lumbar spinal stenosis and balance issues. Relief with Cox® Technic is described.
Make your Tonawanda chiropractic
appointment soon for pain relief of spinal stenosis that can
get you walking (more) again!