Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to track gait irregularities and connected
distorted walking patterns! Our Sitka chiropractic
patients dealing with spinal stenosis often remark
that they walk differently. That makes sense! Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka can help relieve
Sitka back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are increasingly affected by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those
who also have lumbar spinal stenosis find themselves even more
bothered by it. 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% had frailty. After surgery,
those with frailty showed 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 underwent 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 wasn’t a variation in sagittal vertical axis, but there
was significant change in spatiotemporal parameters. (2) Cox®
flexion distraction treatment delivered significant improvement to
lumbar spinal stenosis patients in terms of
improved function, symptomatology, and performance-based
mobility. Further all of their subjective improvement outcomes were
statistically and clinically meaningful. (3) This is beneficial!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also good to know
that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are
linked to their symptoms. A new study delved
into the matter of how dynamic alignment
of the spine and pelvic might be connected to lumbar spinal
function in the daily life of LSS sufferers and discovered
that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a more pronounced pelvic
tilt angle, or less spinal flexion during gait resulted
in decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
seeks to enhance the quality of life for our Sitka
spinal stenosis patients and values studies that divulge
what works. An up-coming study’s goal is to establish
a set of data that can help define and/or
alter patient treatment plans, signs for surgery, and practices
for post-surgery rehab for lumbar spinal stenosis patients who elect
to have surgery. These patients come with a unique set of
issues regarding posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics,
paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of
these play a role in a lumbar spinal stenosis
patient’s care at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as
good an outcome as viable, new tech may come
to the rescue. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait
abnormalities like reduced gait velocity
and asymmetry due to muscle weakness and pain in the lower extremities. Don’t
worry though. There are “smart shoes” to help. Smart shoes are wearable sensors that can sense
gait variations quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since
smart shoes might not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic
tests still work, and Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows them well!
Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Nate McKee on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management helps ease spinal stenosis and improve
balance.
Make your Sitka chiropractic
appointment now to visit us especially if you find
your gait being “off” and/or experience back pain. Spinal stenosis
may be the culprit, and Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows how to deal with it!