Spinal Stenosis Affects Gait and Causes Back Pain
Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart shoes” to track gait abnormalities and associated transformed walking patterns! Our Sitka chiropractic patients experiencing spinal stenosis often comment that they walk differently. That makes sense! Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka can help alleviate Sitka back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are more and more affected by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those who also experience 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 were documented to have locomotive syndrome while 24.8% were documented to be frail. After surgery, those with frailty exhibited improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery doesn’t necessarily enhance gait for all spinal stenosis patients. Researchers measured the sagittal vertical axis using a gait motion analysis with lumbar spinal stenosis patients before and after they underwent decompression surgery to see if there was any improvement in spatiotemporal – how and how quickly a person walks in terms of stride, pace, width of step, etc. - gait parameters. There was not a change in sagittal vertical axis, but there was significant change in spatiotemporal parameters. (2) Cox® flexion distraction treatment produced significant improvement to lumbar spinal stenosis patients in terms of enhanced function, symptomatology, and performance-based mobility. Further all of their subjective improvement outcomes were statistically and clinically meaningful. (3) This is valuable!
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 gave rise to reduced daily-life lumbar function. (4) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka seeks to improve the quality of life for our Sitka spinal stenosis patients and values studies that share what works. A future study’s goal is to form a set of data that can assist in defining and/or altering patient treatment plans, signs for surgery, and routines for post-surgery rehab for lumbar spinal stenosis patients who elect to have surgery. These patients come with a distinctive set of issues concerning posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics, paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of these contribute to a lumbar spinal stenosis patient’s care at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To make sure that the clinical outcome is as good an outcome as possible, new tech may come to the rescue. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait abnormalities like reduced gait speed and unevenness due to muscle weakness and pain in the lower extremities. Have no fear! “Smart shoes” to the rescue! Smart shoes are wearable sensors that can sense gait changes quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since smart shoes may not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic tests still work, and Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows them well! Find out during your examination!
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nate McKee on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management helps ease spinal stenosis and improve balance.
Make your Sitka chiropractic appointment soon to visit us especially if you find your gait being “off” and/or have back pain. Spinal stenosis may be the culprit, and Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows how to deal with it!
