Healthy News November 2021 Relieving Chiropractic Care for Hyperkyphosis Curves & Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
The spine has its own standard curvature or kyphosis. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows the spine’s curves quite well! Most Sitka chiropractic clients don’t give a second though to the spinal curve, its normalcy or its function, until there is an issue caused by a curve that is overly curvy. Consider the thoracic spine, the upper back part of the spine. Its normal kyphosis ranges from 20 to 40 degrees in young people. For 20% to 40% of over-60-year-old adults, this kyphosis is documented to grow beyond 40°. This “age-related kyphosis” (aka ‘hyperkyphosis’) affects both men and women but is more frequently described to affect women who experience more functional disorders like reduced back extensor muscle strength and ability to use erector spinal muscles plus other poor health conditions. (1,2) Spinal manipulation and mobilization of the thoracic spine are common approaches chiropractors use to treat musculoskeletal issues in older adults with issues like hyperkyphosis. Older spines successfully experienced the SMM forces similar to younger spines in research studies. (3) Luckily, research describes manual therapy as effective to decrease and prevent musculoskeletal problems due to thoracic hyperkyphosis. A recent report described how such therapy adjusted the thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength. (4) And a bonus: Thoracic mobilization is demonstrated to boost diaphragmatic excursion and respiratory function to manage and avert respiratory dysfunction in patients with thoracic hyperkyphosis. (5) Your Sitka chiropractor delivers gentle, effective, distractive thoracic spine manipulation that both relieves hyperkyphosis and is quite comfortable. Once you feel it, you will want more!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph D’Angiolillo on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains gentle distraction treatment of upper spine pain with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a not uncommon diagnosis for older Sitka adults. It is associated with a higher utilization of healthcare services. And surgery isn’t always the solution according to a study reporting that 1 in 3 lumbar spinal stenosis patients experienced a poor clinical outcome after surgery. Also, 36.1% of 529 patients had a poor leg pain outcome while 27.6% had a poor overall outcome. Encouragingly, patients who exercised on a regular basis and those who got pre-operative chiropractic or physiotherapy care were less likely to describe a poor overall outcome. (6) A new study stated that getting such non-operative care beginning within the first 30 days of diagnosis decreased the use of riskier and more costly health care services in the following year. Fewer than 2% of Medicare beneficiaries started such care in a timely fashion. (7) Lastly, manual manipulation for 8 weeks was reported to be effective for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis by decreasing their pain and improving their function. (8) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is ready to get started caring for your spinal stenosis today, non-surgically and safely.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Schedule your next Sitka chiropractic appointment today. Spine conditions like thoracic spine hyperkyphosis and lumbar spinal stenosis react well to chiropractic treatment!