Spinal Stenosis Affects Gait and Causes Back Pain
Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart shoes” to measure gait irregularities and connected transformed walking patterns! Our Carrolltown chiropractic patients experiencing spinal stenosis often comment that they walk differently. That makes sense! Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation can help alleviate Carrolltown back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are ever more affected by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those who also experience lumbar spinal stenosis find themselves even more affected. In a study of such patients who were heading for surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, all but 1 of the 234 patients had locomotive syndrome while 24.8% were documented to be frail. Post-surgically, those with frailty exhibited improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery doesn’t necessarily enhance gait for all spinal stenosis patients. Researchers evaluated the sagittal vertical axis using a gait motion analysis with lumbar spinal stenosis patients before and after they had decompression surgery to see if there was any improvement in spatiotemporal – how and how quickly a person walks in terms of stride, pace, width of step, etc. - gait parameters. There wasn’t a change in sagittal vertical axis, but there was significant difference in spatiotemporal parameters. (2) Cox® flexion distraction treatment delivered significant improvement to lumbar spinal stenosis patients in terms of improved function, symptomatology, and performance-based mobility. Further all of their subjective improvement outcomes were statistically and clinically meaningful. (3) This is beneficial!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also good to know that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are associated with their symptoms. A recent study delved into the matter of how dynamic alignment of the spine and pelvic might be linked to lumbar spinal function in the daily life of LSS sufferers and discovered that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a greater pelvic tilt angle, or smaller spinal flexion during gait resulted in decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation seeks to improve the quality of life for our Carrolltown spinal stenosis patients and values studies that divulge what works. A future study’s goal is to ascertain a set of data that can assist in defining and/or altering patient treatment plans, indications for surgery, and practices for post-surgery rehab for lumbar spinal stenosis patients who elect to have surgery. These patients come with a distinctive set of issues regarding posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics, paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of these contribute to a lumbar spinal stenosis patient’s care at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To make sure that the clinical outcome is as good an outcome as possible, new tech may come to the rescue. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait abnormalities like decreased gait velocity and asymmetry due to muscle weakness and pain in the lower extremities. Have no fear! “Smart shoes” to the rescue! Smart shoes are wearable sensors that can detect gait variations quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since smart shoes may not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic tests still work, and Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows them well! Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nate McKee on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management helps ease spinal stenosis and increase balance.
Make your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment soon to visit us especially if you find your gait being “off” and/or experience back pain. Spinal stenosis may be the culprit, and Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows how to deal with it!
