Juneau Walking and Non-Drug Therapy for Back Pain and Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis and its related back pain is common and troubling for its sufferers. Dementia, neurogenic claudication, decreased walking distance, poor balance, reduced quality of life, and modified posture often accompany spinal stenosis. Disc herniations, disc degeneration, and other spinal canal space invaders invite spinal stenosis. At Aurora Chiropractic Center, Juneau spinal stenosis patients who want to uninvite spinal stenosis have someone by their side.
THE IMPACT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Research continues to present lumbar spinal stenosis as being linked to issues like dementia development, walking capacity, and reduced 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 had dementia compared to just 4.4% of the control group members. (1) Older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis were described as changing their posture with a forward bend to enhance their ability and tolerance for walking. Researchers who studied this phenomenon found that this posture was more of a forward shift of the pelvis during walking and standing. They deduced that limited walking in symptomatic spinal stenosis patients was more associated with spine loading which increased 7%. (2) Whatever it is linked to, reduced walking ability isn’t beneficial. Someday it will be nice to more fully understand the part stenosis plays in relationship to slowed walking, but for now, Aurora Chiropractic Center will continue to encourage walking for spinal stenosis patients, slow and steady and distance furthered 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 issued and with good reason. Reduced walking ability and quality of life are documented side-effects of lumbar spinal stenosis. These 2 issues remain the leading gauges for back surgery in older sufferers. Sadly, 40% of those who undergo spinal surgery for the lumbar spinal stenosis still state walking issues post-surgery. (3) Recommendation 1 of a newer guideline for dealing with lumbar spinal stenosis and related neurogenic claudication encouraged 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 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 method. Epidural steroids weren’t. (5) Conservative, non-surgical care of Juneau spinal stenosis is endorsed by spine researchers and by Aurora Chiropractic Center.
CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic Center
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.
Schedule your Juneau chiropractic appointment soon for pain relief of spinal stenosis that can get you walking (more) again!
