Spinal Stenosis Affects Gait and Causes Back Pain
Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart shoes” to measure gait abnormalities and associated distorted walking patterns! Our Tonawanda chiropractic patients dealing with spinal stenosis often remark that they walk differently. That makes sense! Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation can help alleviate Tonawanda back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are ever more affected by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those who also experience lumbar spinal stenosis find themselves even more affected. In a study of such patients who were going to undergo surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, all but 1 of the 234 patients had locomotive syndrome while 24.8% were documented to be frail. Post-surgically, those with frailty exhibited improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery doesn’t necessarily improve gait for all spinal stenosis patients. Researchers evaluated the sagittal vertical axis using a gait motion analysis with lumbar spinal stenosis patients before and after they had decompression surgery to determine if there was any improvement in spatiotemporal – how and how quickly a person moves in terms of stride, pace, width of step, etc. - gait parameters. There was not a variation in sagittal vertical axis, but there was significant change in spatiotemporal parameters. (2) Cox® flexion distraction treatment produced significant improvement to lumbar spinal stenosis patients in terms of enhanced function, symptomatology, and performance-based mobility. Further all of their subjective improvement outcomes were statistically and clinically meaningful. (3) This is good!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also beneficial to understand that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are linked to their symptoms. A recent study explored the matter of how dynamic alignment of the spine and pelvic might be related to lumbar spinal function in the everyday life of LSS sufferers and discovered that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a greater pelvic tilt angle, or less spinal flexion during gait resulted in decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation aims to improve the quality of life for our Tonawanda spinal stenosis patients and values studies that share what works. An up-coming study’s goal is to ascertain a set of data that can help define and/or alter patient treatment plans, indications for surgery, and routines for post-surgery rehab for lumbar spinal stenosis patients who elect to have surgery. These patients come with a distinctive set of issues concerning posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics, paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of these have a role in a lumbar spinal stenosis patient’s care at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as good an outcome as viable, technology may come to the rescue. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait abnormalities like decreased gait speed and unevenness due to muscle weakness and pain in the lower extremities. Have no fear! “Smart shoes” to the rescue! Smart shoes are wearable sensors that can detect gait variations quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are explored - since smart shoes may not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic tests remain effective, and Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation knows them well! Find out during your exam!
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 illustrates how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management helps relieve spinal stenosis and increase balance.
Make your Tonawanda chiropractic appointment soon to visit us especially if you find your gait being “off” and/or experience back pain. Spinal stenosis may be the offender, and Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation knows how to deal with it!
