Sitka Walking and Non-Drug Therapy for Back Pain and Stenosis

August 17, 2022

Lumbar spinal stenosis and its related back pain is common and troubling for its sufferers. Dementia, neurogenic claudication, reduced walking distance, poor balance, lessened quality of life, and modified posture often attend spinal stenosis. Disc herniations, disc degeneration, and other spinal canal space invaders invite spinal stenosis. At Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka, Sitka spinal stenosis sufferers who want to uninvite spinal stenosis have someone by their side.

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 new study reported 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 compared to just 4.4% of the control group members. (1) Older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis were portrayed as modifying their posture with a forward bend to enhance 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 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 related to, reduced walking ability isn’t good. Someday it will be nice to more fully understand the part stenosis plays in relationship to slowed walking, but for now, Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka will keep encouraging walking for spinal stenosis patients, slow and steady and distance increased as able.

THE TREATMENT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS: Walk

Since spinal stenosis is so common a condition in older folks, many guidelines and reports are issued and with good reason. Reduced walking ability and quality of life are documented side-effects of lumbar spinal stenosis. These 2 issues remain the leading gauges for back surgery in older patients. 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 managing lumbar spinal stenosis and associated neurogenic claudication encouraged 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 the ability to walk revealed that manual therapy and exercise to increase walking distance together was an effective treatment approach. Epidural steroids were not. (5) Conservative, non-surgical care of Sitka spinal stenosis is recommended by spine researchers and by Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka.

CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka

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 Sitka chiropractic appointment soon for pain relief of spinal stenosis that can get you walking (more) again!

Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka encourages walking and guideline-recommended non-drug therapy for spinal stenosis, reduction of its pain, and improvement in walking.