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 San Jose chiropractic patients who have spinal stenosis often remark that they walk differently. That makes sense! Chiropractic Solutions can help alleviate San Jose 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 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% had frailty. Post-surgically, 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 moves in terms of stride, pace, width of step, etc. - gait parameters. There was not a change in sagittal vertical axis, but there was significant change in spatiotemporal parameters. (2) Cox® flexion distraction treatment produced 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 beneficial to understand that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are related to their symptoms. A new study delved into the question of how dynamic alignment of the spine and pelvic might be related 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 reduced daily-life lumbar function. (4) Chiropractic Solutions aims to improve the quality of life for our San Jose spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that share what works. A future study’s goal is to form 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 choose 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 Chiropractic Solutions and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To make sure that the clinical outcome is as good an outcome as viable, 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 sense gait changes quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are explored - 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 examination!
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 increase balance.
Make your San Jose chiropractic appointment today to visit us especially if you find your gait being “off” and/or have back pain. Spinal stenosis may be the offender, and Chiropractic Solutions knows how to deal with it!
