Manahawkin Walking and Non-Drug Therapy for Back Pain and Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis and its related back pain is widespread and troubling for its sufferers. Dementia, neurogenic claudication, reduced walking distance, poor balance, reduced quality of life, and altered posture often attend spinal stenosis. Disc herniations, disc degeneration, and other spinal canal space invaders invite spinal stenosis. At Manahawkin Chiropractic Center, Manahawkin spinal stenosis patients who want to uninvite spinal stenosis have someone to help.
THE IMPACT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Research continues to present lumbar spinal stenosis as being linked to issues like dementia development, walking capacity, and lower quality of life. A recent study reported that lumbar spinal stenosis was an independent risk factor for developing dementia. Of 1220 patients, 10.8% of the lumbar spinal stenosis patients experienced dementia as opposed to just 4.4% of the control group members. (1) Older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis were portrayed as altering 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 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 linked to, reduced walking ability isn’t good. Someday it will be nice to more fully understand the part stenosis plays in relationship to decreased walking, but for now, Manahawkin Chiropractic Center 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 published and with good reason. Decreased walking ability and quality of life are recorded side-effects of lumbar spinal stenosis. These 2 issues persist as the main gauges for back surgery in older patients. Sadly, 40% of those who undergo spinal surgery for the lumbar spinal stenosis still state difficulty with walking after surgery. (3) Recommendation 1 of a more recent guideline for the management of lumbar spinal stenosis and associated neurogenic claudication encouraged non-surgical multimodal care to include 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 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 an effective treatment approach. Epidural steroids weren’t. (5) Conservative, non-surgical care of Manahawkin spinal stenosis is endorsed by spine researchers and by Manahawkin Chiropractic Center.
CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nate McKee on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates 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.
Schedule your Manahawkin chiropractic appointment soon for improved walking and reduced back pain due to Manahawkin lumbar spinal stenosis!
