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 associated transformed walking patterns! Our Toronto chiropractic patients experiencing spinal stenosis often comment that they walk differently. That makes sense! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre can help alleviate Toronto 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 experience 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 were documented to have locomotive syndrome while 24.8% were documented to be frail. After surgery, those with frailty showed improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery does not 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 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 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 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 know that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are associated with their symptoms. A new study explored the matter of how dynamic alignment of the spine and pelvic might be linked to lumbar spinal function in the everyday life of LSS sufferers and found that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a greater pelvic tilt angle, or less spinal flexion during gait gave rise to decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre aims to enhance the quality of life for our Toronto spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that share what works. A future study’s goal is to form a set of data that can help define and/or alter 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 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as good an outcome as possible, technology 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 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows them well! Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 ease spinal stenosis and improve balance.
Make your Toronto 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows how to rein it in!
