Healthy News January 2023

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is seemingly one of the most common spinal conditions in the US, impacting more than 500 million people over 65 years old. (1) As researchers grapple with a more systematic approach to managing patient care for lumbar spinal stenosis sufferers, your Groton chiropractor delivers gentle, safe, pain easing treatment. The latest attempt at a system stressed that each LSS patient presents a bit differently which limits any algorithm to be “soft guidance” as to its treatment plan based primarily on the LSS patient's pain relief in spinal flexion. (2) Since spinal stenosis is typically a systemic issue, meaning if you have spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine, you likely have it in other spinal areas like the cervical too, you don’t want to overlook it. Further, lumbar spinal stenosis isn’t a condition that appears and disappears forever. Its pain can be managed, but its status as a condition remains one that researchers classify as “chronic,” meaning it lasts beyond 90 days. Be hopeful! Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is experienced in ways to help with lumbar spinal stenosis relief. One study documented that flexion distraction significantly reduced pain and disability for lumbar spinal stenosis patients. (3) Another study reported that chronic back pain sufferers with moderate to severe symptoms got better the most with the chiropractic technique, Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction Decompression (CTFDD), compared with physical therapy. (4) Those same patients had significantly lower pain scores over the following year than did patients who underwent physical therapy. (5) LSS patients also have altered gait and balance concerns. (1,6) CTFDD helps these issues, too! A study regarding the influence of spinal manipulation on balance issues in LSS patients documented that flexion distraction spinal manipulation improved function, symptoms, and performance-based mobility in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. (6) We also look forward to the outcomes of a prospective data collection study in its second year of follow-up with patients who underwent CTFDD for relief of their LSS-related back pain. Data collection will be completed in late 2023 with findings being published in the years to come. Groton lumbar spinal stenosis is everywhere, and its relieving partner is your Groton chiropractor here at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dean Greenwood on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes his alleviating treatment of a spinal stenosis patient with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

As a set of researchers sets up a new study to see if a 6-week education and exercise program will improve the walking capacity of lumbar spinal stenosis patients with neurogenic claudication (7), we} suggest walking and exercising now! Lots of research exhibits that lumbar spinal stenosis responds to exercise. A study showed that individualized exercise (stretches and strengthening) in combination with manual therapy (like out CTFDD spinal manipulation mobilization!) beat medical care and group exercise with greater symptom and function improvement as well as walking capacity at 2 months of care. (8) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office has just the program of stretching, strengthening, and manipulation for you! We will design it together!

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We appreciate all of our patients here at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office and look forward to a healthy 2023! Set your next Groton chiropractic visit with Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office soon to maximize your spine’s health. See you then!