Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to track gait irregularities and associated
altered walking patterns! Our Manchester chiropractic
patients dealing with spinal stenosis often remark
that they walk differently. That makes sense! Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries can help alleviate
Manchester back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are affected to a greater extent by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those
who also experience lumbar spinal stenosis find themselves even more
bothered by it. In a study of such patients who were heading
for surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, all but 1 of the 234
patients were documented to have locomotive syndrome while 24.8% had frailty. After surgery,
those with frailty exhibited improvement in locomotion.
(1) Yet surgery does not 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 determine
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 produced 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 important. (3) This is valuable!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also beneficial to know
that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are
related to their symptoms. A new study investigated the matter of how dynamic alignment
of the spine and pelvic might be linked to lumbar spinal
function in the everyday life of LSS sufferers and discovered
that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a greater pelvic
tilt angle, or smaller spinal flexion during gait gave rise to decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
seeks to improve the quality of life for our Manchester
spinal stenosis patients and values studies that disclose
what works. An up-coming study’s goal is to establish
a set of data that can assist in defining and/or altering patient treatment plans, signs 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 play a role in a lumbar spinal stenosis
patient’s care at Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as
good an outcome as viable, technology may be of help. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait
abnormalities like reduced 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 changes quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since
smart shoes might not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic
tests still work, and Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries knows them well!
Find out during your examination!
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Nate McKee on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
illustrates how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management helps ease spinal stenosis and increase
balance.
Make your Manchester chiropractic
appointment today to see us especially if you find
your gait being “off” and/or experience back pain. Spinal stenosis
may be the offender, and Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries knows how to deal with it!