New Research from Manahawkin Chiropractic Center: Exercise Helps Spinal Stenosis Patients, Regardless of Severity
If you've been told you have spinal stenosis or a disc protrusion, it's natural to feel wary of exercise — won't moving the wrong way make things worse? Two studies published in early 2026 offer real reassurance, and they're well worth sharing with your doctor of chiropractic at Manahawkin Chiropractic Center as you plan your recovery.
A "SEVERE" SCAN DOESN'T MEAN EXERCISE WON'T HELP
A large retrospective study of 1,806 patients published in Physical Therapy looked at people with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis who completed an exercise-based rehabilitation program, and the results push back on a widespread assumption. (1) Investigators reported that participants improved significantly in pain levels, functional disability, strength, and medication use — and there was no meaningful difference in how well people responded to exercise based on how severe the stenosis appeared radiographically, with more than one in ten patients able to stop using narcotic pain medication altogether. In plain terms: a "severe" scan does not mean exercise won't help you.
DISC PROTRUSION PATIENTS SEE REAL GAINS FROM STABILIZATION EXERCISE
A randomized clinical trial published in the journal Health Science Reports followed sixty patients with a one-sided lumbar disc protrusion for eight weeks, comparing standard physiotherapy on its own to routine physiotherapy combined with supervised stabilization training targeting the deep trunk muscles. Both groups improved in pain, disability, and lumbar range of motion, but the stabilization group improved significantly more — and ultrasound scans revealed stronger performance in the deep core and multifidus muscles that help stabilize the lower spine. Just as promising: across the full study period of supervised exercise, not a single participant had a symptom flare-up or a injury tied to the program, only some mild, short-lived muscle soreness early on. (2)
ASK US ABOUT YOUR EXERCISE PLAN
These findings don't mean every exercise is right for every spine, and the appropriate routine is shaped by your particular imaging, symptoms, and goals — so before beginning or adjusting any exercise program, talk with your chiropractor at Manahawkin Chiropractic Center in Manahawkin, who can help you move confidently, not fearfully, toward relief.
Check out this podcast with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares the advantage of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for spinal stenosis.
