Healthy News November 2021 Relieving Chiropractic Care for Hyperkyphosis Curves & Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
The spine has its own usual curvature or kyphosis. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows the spine’s curves quite well! Most Toronto chiropractic clients don’t give a second though to the spinal curve, its normalcy or its function, until there is an issue caused by a curve that gets “too” curvy. Take for example the thoracic spine, the upper back part of the spine. Its normal kyphosis ranges from 20 to 40 degrees in young people. For 20 to 40% of over-60-year-old adults, this kyphosis is documented to grow beyond 40°. This “age-related kyphosis” (aka ‘hyperkyphosis’) affects both men and women but is more often seen in women who have more functional disorders like reduced back extensor muscle strength and use of erector spinal muscles plus other poor health conditions. (1,2) Spinal manipulation and mobilization of the thoracic spine are common ways chiropractors treat musculoskeletal issues in older adults with conditions like hyperkyphosis. Older spines effectively received the SMM forces similar to younger spines in research studies. (3) Luckily, research describes manual therapy as effective to reduce and avert musculoskeletal problems because of thoracic hyperkyphosis. A recent study described how such therapy improved the thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength. (4) And a bonus: Thoracic mobilization is demonstrated to boost diaphragmatic excursion and respiratory function to manage and prevent respiratory dysfunction in patients with thoracic hyperkyphosis. (5) Your Toronto chiropractor delivers gentle, effective, distractive thoracic spine manipulation that both relieves hyperkyphosis and is quite comfortable. Once you feel it, you’ll want more!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph D’Angiolillo on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes gentle distraction care of upper spine pain with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common diagnosis for older Toronto adults. It is related to higher utilization of healthcare services. And surgery isn’t always the answer according to a study that reported how 1 in 3 lumbar spinal stenosis patients experienced a poor clinical outcome with surgery. Moreover, 36.1% of 529 patients had a poor leg pain outcome while 27.6% had a poor overall outcome. Promisingly, patients who exercised regularly and those who got pre-operative chiropractic or physiotherapy care were not as likely to report a poor overall outcome. (6) A recent study stated that getting such non-operative care starting within the first 30 days of diagnosis reduced the use of riskier and more costly health care services in the following year. Fewer than 2% of Medicare beneficiaries got such care in a timely fashion. (7) Lastly, manual manipulation for 8 weeks was shown to be effective for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis by reducing their pain and bettering their function. (8) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is ready to get started treating your spinal stenosis today, non-operatively and safely.
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Schedule your next Toronto chiropractic appointment today. Spine conditions like thoracic spine hyperkyphosis and lumbar spinal stenosis respond well to chiropractic treatment!