Spinal Stenosis Affects Gait and Causes Back Pain
Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart shoes” to measure gait abnormalities and connected altered walking patterns! Our Concord, NC chiropractic patients dealing with spinal stenosis often comment that they walk differently. That makes sense! Pure Chiropractic can help alleviate Concord, NC back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are increasingly affected by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those who also have 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 showed improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery doesn’t necessarily improve 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 variation in sagittal vertical axis, but there was significant change 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 valuable!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also beneficial to know that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are linked to their symptoms. A new study investigated the question of how dynamic alignment of the spine and pelvic might be connected to lumbar spinal function in the daily life of LSS sufferers and found that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a greater pelvic tilt angle, or smaller spinal flexion during gait gave rise to lower daily-life lumbar function. (4) Pure Chiropractic aims to enhance the quality of life for our Concord, NC spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that disclose what works. An up-coming study’s goal is to form a set of data that can help define and/or alter 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 unique set of issues regarding posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics, paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of these have a role in a lumbar spinal stenosis patient’s care at Pure Chiropractic 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 decreased gait speed and unevenness due to muscle weakness and pain in the lower extremities. Don’t worry though. There are “smart shoes” to help. Smart shoes are wearable sensors that can sense gait variations quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are explored - since smart shoes may not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic tests remain effective, and Pure Chiropractic knows them well! Find out during your examination!
CONTACT Pure Chiropractic
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.
Schedule your Concord, NC chiropractic appointment soon to visit us especially if you find your gait being “off” and/or have back pain. Spinal stenosis may be the culprit, and Pure Chiropractic knows how to deal with it!
