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

August 17, 2022

Lumbar spinal stenosis and its related back pain is widespread and distressing for its sufferers. Dementia, neurogenic claudication, reduced walking distance, poor balance, reduced quality of life, and modified posture often attend spinal stenosis. Disc herniations, disc degeneration, and other spinal canal space invaders invite spinal stenosis. At Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office, Groton spinal stenosis patients who want to uninvite spinal stenosis have someone to help.

THE IMPACT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS

Research keeps presenting lumbar spinal stenosis as being linked to conditions like dementia development, walking capacity, and lower quality of life. A new study stated that lumbar spinal stenosis was an independent risk factor for acquiring dementia. Of 1220 patients, 10.8% of the lumbar spinal stenosis patients had dementia compared to only 4.4% of the control group members. (1) Older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis were portrayed as changing 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 during walking and standing. 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, decreased walking ability is not beneficial. Someday it will be nice to more fully understand the role of stenosis in relationship to slowed walking, but for now, Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office 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, multiple guidelines and reports are published and with good reason. Reduced ability to walk and quality of life are recorded side-effects of lumbar spinal stenosis. These 2 issues remain the leading factors for back surgery in older patients. Sadly, 40% of those who undergo spinal surgery for the lumbar spinal stenosis still report walking issues post-surgery. (3) Recommendation 1 of a newer guideline for handling lumbar spinal stenosis and associated neurogenic claudication suggested 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 reports regarding the outcomes of treatments for lumbar spine stenosis related neurogenic claudication that reduced walking revealed that manual therapy and exercise to increase walking distance together was a beneficial treatment method. Epidural steroids weren’t. (5) Conservative, non-surgical care of Groton spinal stenosis is recommended by spine researchers and by Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office.

CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office

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 Groton chiropractic appointment today for increased walking and reduced back pain due to Groton lumbar spinal stenosis!

Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office encourages walking and guideline-recommended non-drug therapy for spinal stenosis, reduction of its pain, and improvement in walking.