Spinal Stenosis Affects Gait and Causes Back Pain
Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart shoes” to track gait irregularities and connected altered walking patterns! Our Fernandina Beach chiropractic patients dealing with spinal stenosis often remark that they walk differently. That makes sense! Amelia Chiropractic Clinic can help relieve Fernandina Beach 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 displayed improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery doesn’t necessarily enhance gait for all spinal stenosis patients. Researchers measured the sagittal vertical axis using a gait motion analysis with lumbar spinal stenosis patients before and after they underwent decompression surgery to see 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 variation 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 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 new study investigated 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 resulted in reduced daily-life lumbar function. (4) Amelia Chiropractic Clinic seeks to improve the quality of life for our Fernandina Beach spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that divulge 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, 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 concerning 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 Amelia Chiropractic Clinic and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To make sure that the clinical outcome is as good an outcome as possible, technology may be of help. 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 detect gait variations 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 Amelia Chiropractic Clinic knows them well! Find out during your examination!
CONTACT Amelia Chiropractic Clinic
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 Fernandina Beach 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 Amelia Chiropractic Clinic knows how to deal with it!
