Lumbar spinal stenosis and its related back pain is common
and troubling for many. Dementia, neurogenic
claudication, reduced walking distance, poor balance, lessened
quality of life, and altered posture often attend spinal
stenosis. Disc herniations, disc degeneration, and other spinal canal space intruders
invite spinal stenosis. At Executive Chiropractic of Iowa, West Des Moines spinal stenosis sufferers
who want to uninvite spinal stenosis have someone to
help.
THE IMPACT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Research continues to present lumbar
spinal stenosis as being linked to conditions like dementia
development, walking capacity, and reduced quality of life. A recent
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 had dementia as
opposed to only 4.4% of the control group members. (1) Older
adults with lumbar spinal stenosis were described as altering
their posture with a forward bend to improve their ability and
tolerance for walking. Researchers who looked into this
phenomenon found that this posture was more of a forward shift of the pelvis during
standing and walking. They deduced
that limited walking in symptomatic spinal stenosis patients was more related to spine loading which rose 7%. (2) Whatever
it is linked to, reduced walking ability isn’t beneficial. Someday it will be nice to understand more clearly the part stenosis plays
in relationship to decreased walking, but for now,
Executive Chiropractic of Iowa will keep encouraging walking for
spinal stenosis patients, slow and steady and distance furthered
as tolerated.
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. Reduced walking ability
and quality of life are recorded side-effects of lumbar spinal
stenosis. These 2 issues persist as the main
gauges for back surgery in older patients.
Sadly, 40% of those who undergo spinal surgery for the lumbar spinal stenosis still
state difficulty with walking post-surgery. (3) Recommendation 1 of a more recent guideline for the
management of lumbar spinal stenosis and associated
neurogenic claudication encouraged non-surgical multimodal care
to include 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 regarding
the outcomes of treatments for lumbar spine stenosis related neurogenic
claudication that reduced walking found
that manual therapy and exercise to increase walking distance
together was an effective treatment method.
Epidural steroids were not. (5) Conservative, non-surgical care
of West Des Moines spinal stenosis is endorsed by spine researchers and by
Executive Chiropractic of Iowa.
CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Nate McKee on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
illustrates 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 West Des Moines chiropractic
appointment soon for improved walking and decreased
back pain due to West Des Moines lumbar spinal stenosis!