Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to measure gait abnormalities and connected
transformed walking patterns! Our Carrolltown chiropractic
patients who have spinal stenosis often comment
that they walk differently. That makes sense! Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation can help alleviate
Carrolltown back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are ever
more 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 going to undergo surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, all but 1 of the 234
patients had locomotive syndrome while 24.8% were
documented to be frail. After surgery,
those with frailty displayed improvement in locomotion.
(1) Yet surgery doesn’t necessarily improve 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 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 change 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 meaningful. (3) This is beneficial!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also beneficial to understand
that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are
associated with 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 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 decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
aims to improve the quality of life for our Carrolltown
spinal stenosis patients and values studies that share
what works. An up-coming 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 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 have a role in a lumbar spinal stenosis
patient’s care at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as
good an outcome as possible, new tech 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 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 Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows them well!
Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
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 improve
balance.
Make your Carrolltown 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 Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows how to deal with it!