Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to track gait irregularities and connected
transformed walking patterns! Our San Jose chiropractic
patients dealing with spinal stenosis often remark
that they walk differently. That makes sense! Chiropractic Solutions can help relieve
San Jose 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. Post-surgically,
those with frailty displayed 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 moves
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
enhanced 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 good to understand
that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are
linked to their symptoms. A recent study explored the subject of how dynamic alignment
of the spine and pelvic might be related to lumbar spinal
function in the everyday life of LSS sufferers and found
that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a more pronounced pelvic
tilt angle, or less spinal flexion during gait gave rise to reduced daily-life lumbar function. (4) Chiropractic Solutions
aims to enhance the quality of life for our San Jose
spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that share
what works. An up-coming study’s goal is to ascertain
a set of data that can assist in defining and/or altering patient treatment plans, signs for surgery, and routines
for post-surgery rehab for lumbar spinal stenosis patients who choose
to have surgery. These patients come with a distinctive set of
issues concerning 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 Chiropractic Solutions and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure 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. Don’t
worry though. There are “smart shoes” to help. Smart shoes are wearable sensors that can identify
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 remain effective, and Chiropractic Solutions knows them well!
Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
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 relieve spinal stenosis and improve
balance.
Schedule your San Jose chiropractic
appointment today to visit us especially if you find
your gait being “off” and/or experience back pain. Spinal stenosis
may be the culprit, and Chiropractic Solutions knows how to deal with it!