New Research from Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre: Exercise Helps Spinal Stenosis Patients, Regardless of Severity
Hearing a diagnosis of spinal stenosis or a disc protrusion often makes exercise feel intimidating — won't moving the wrong way make things worse? A pair of studies published in 2026 offer solid, evidence-based reassurance, and they're well worth bringing up with your doctor of chiropractic at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre as you map out your care plan.
SEVERE STENOSIS ON YOUR SCAN? EXERCISE STILL WORKS
A sizable retrospective study following 1,806 patients with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis through an exercise-based rehabilitation program was published in Physical Therapy, and its findings push back on a long-held assumption. (1) Researchers found that patients improved significantly in pain, disability, strength, medication use, and function — and no meaningful difference emerged in how well patients responded to exercise based on how advanced their stenosis appeared on scans, with more than one in ten patients able to stop using narcotic pain medication altogether. In simple terms: even a "severe" stenosis diagnosis doesn't rule out benefiting from exercise.
FOR DISC PROTRUSION, TARGETED STABILIZATION WORK PAYS OFF
A controlled clinical trial published in the journal Health Science Reports followed 60 patients with a single-sided lumbar disc protrusion for eight weeks, comparing routine physiotherapy by itself to standard physiotherapy paired with supervised stabilization exercises targeting the deep core muscles. Pain, disability, and lumbar range of motion improved in both groups, though the stabilization group saw significantly greater gains — and ultrasound scans revealed stronger engagement of the deep core and multifidus muscles that help keep the low back supported. Just as reassuring: across the eight-week trial of supervised training, no participant experienced a decline in symptoms or a treatment-related injury, only a bit of early, temporary muscle soreness. (2)
TALK TO US AT YOUR NEXT VISIT
This research isn't permission to skip professional guidance, and the right program is shaped by your particular imaging, symptoms, and goals — so before starting or changing an exercise routine, talk with your chiropractor at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in Toronto, who can help you approach relief with confidence rather than fear.
Check out this podcast with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he details the benefit of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for spinal stenosis.
