Healthy News November 2021 Relieving Chiropractic Care for Hyperkyphosis Curves & Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
The spine has its own usual curvature or kyphosis. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows the spine’s curves quite well! Most Carrolltown chiropractic clients do not think about the curvature of the spine, its normalcy or its function, until there is an issue caused by a curve that gets “too” curvy. Take for example the thoracic spine, the upper back part of the spine, whose normal kyphosis ranges from 20° to 40 in young people. For 20% to 40% of over-60-year-old adults, this kyphosis is seen to grow beyond 40°. This is termed “age-related kyphosis” or “hyperkyphosis” which affects both men and women but is more frequently described to affect women who experience more functional disorders like reduced back extensor muscle strength and ability to use erector spinal muscles in addition to poor health issues. (1,2) Spinal manipulation and mobilization of the thoracic spine are common approaches chiropractors use to treat musculoskeletal issues in older adults with conditions like hyperkyphosis. Older spines effectively received the SMM forces similar to younger spines in research studies. (3) Luckily, research describes manual therapy as effective to reduce and prevent musculoskeletal problems due to thoracic hyperkyphosis. A recent study noted that such therapy improved the thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength. (4) And a bonus: Thoracic mobilization is demonstrated to boost diaphragmatic excursion and respiratory function to control and prevent respiratory dysfunction in patients with thoracic hyperkyphosis. (5) Your Carrolltown chiropractor delivers gentle, effective, distractive thoracic spine manipulation that is both hyperkyphosis-relieving and comfortable. Once you feel it, you will ask for it again!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph D’Angiolillo on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes gentle distraction treatment of upper spine pain with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a not uncommon diagnosis for older Carrolltown adults. It is associated with a higher utilization of healthcare services. And surgery isn’t always the answer according to a study reporting that 1 in 3 lumbar spinal stenosis patients had a poor clinical outcome with surgery. Also, 36.1% of 529 patients had a poor leg pain outcome while 27.6% had a poor overall outcome. Promisingly, patients who exercised on a regular basis and those who got pre-operative chiropractic or physiotherapy care were less likely to describe a poor overall outcome. (6) A recent study reported that getting such non-operative care starting within the first 30 days of diagnosis decreased the use of riskier and more costly health care services in the following year. Fewer than 2% of Medicare beneficiaries receive such care in a timely fashion. (7) Lastly, manual manipulation for 8 weeks was reported to be effective for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis by decreasing their pain and improving their function. (8) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is ready to get started caring for your spinal stenosis today, non-operatively and safely.
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Schedule your next Carrolltown chiropractic appointment today. Spinal conditions like thoracic spine hyperkyphosis and lumbar spinal stenosis respond well to chiropractic treatment!