If you experience chronic back pain, like
many other West Des Moines back pain patients, odds
are you’ve heard of paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate. This spinal
condition can cause a great deal of discomfort and can even
result in gait disturbances. In this blog post, we will look more
closely at paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate and how it
is related to lumbar spinal stenosis and its treatment
with spinal manipulation offered at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa.
WHAT IS PARASPINAL MUSCLE FATTY INFILTRATE?
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is an
accumulation of fat within the tissues of the muscles located
near the spine. Genetics or aging are often culprits of this condition,
but it can
also be triggered by lifestyle factors such as eating
poorly or not exercising. It is
important to note that paraspinal fatty muscle infiltrate
does not always produce symptoms, but if it does, they can involve
low back pain, stiffness in the lower back and legs, or difficulty walking due
to gait disturbances since gait relies on hip muscles
like the gluteus medius. A recent report described how
the extent to which the gluteus medius is atrophied (weakened)
impacted lumbar spinal stenosis symptomatology. (1) A
leading spinal condition
affecting more than 500 million people over 65 years old,
lumbar spinal stenosis, is related to distorted
gait as gait depends on strong muscle activity. (2)
West Des Moines chiropractic patients know Executive Chiropractic of Iowa checks for gait issues during our chiropractic exam.
PARASPINAL FATTY INFILTRATE AND LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate can be related to lumbar spinal stenosis—a narrowing of the spinal canal that results
in lower back pain and even pain down the legs by exerting
pressure on spinal nerves – and resulting
West Des Moines back pain. Intervertebral disc degeneration and
fatty-infiltrated paraspinal muscles – multifidus, erector spinae, etc. – are linked
and known to contribute to chronic low back pain and its
issues: the fattier, the more degenerated.
(3) Other researchers agreed that fat infiltration of the
paraspinal muscles like the multifidus muscle may be linked to lower back pain when it was not associated with other
factors like a person with back pain who was male, older or has a higher BMI
older, male, or having a higher BMI]78]. (4) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa offers alleviating
chiropractic treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis and its back pain.
LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS & SPINAL MANIPULATION
Treatment
options for lumbar spinal stenosis vary depending on
severity and the healthcare practitioner who was seen from drugs and surgery to exercise, nutrition, and/or
spinal manipulation and mobilization. One study described
that one session of spinal manipulation was
found to significantly decrease spinal
stiffness and enhanced the multifidus muscle thickness ratio which
lasted for more than 7 days for spinal manipulation
responders. (5) Your West Des Moines chiropractor uses such care for back pain relief, especially the
well-researched chiropractic Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management. Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he details how The
Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management addresses back pain and
affiliated muscles.
CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is a common condition
that can cause a range of issues involving low
back pain, stiffness in the lower body, and gait disturbances. It is sometimes
associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. If you have any
symptoms associated with paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate or
lumbar spinal stenosis, it's time to speak with
your West Des Moines chiropractor at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa about your treatment
options so you can find relief as quickly as possible.
Make your appointment today!