Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to track gait irregularities and connected
distorted walking patterns! Our Severna Park chiropractic
patients who have spinal stenosis often comment
that they walk differently. That makes sense! Back And Neck Care Center can help relieve
Severna Park 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 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. Post-surgically,
those with frailty showed improvement in locomotion.
(1) Yet surgery doesn’t 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 see
if there was any improvement in spatiotemporal – how and how quickly a person walks
in terms of stride, pace, width of step, etc. - gait parameters. There was
not a variation in sagittal vertical axis, but there
was significant change 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 meaningful. (3) This is beneficial!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also beneficial to know
that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are
related to their symptoms. A recent study explored the matter of how dynamic alignment
of the spine and pelvic might be linked 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 less spinal flexion during gait gave rise to lower daily-life lumbar function. (4) Back And Neck Care Center
seeks to enhance the quality of life for our Severna Park
spinal stenosis patients and values studies that share
what works. An up-coming study’s goal is to ascertain
a set of data that can help define and/or
alter patient treatment plans, signs for surgery, and routines
for post-surgery rehab for lumbar spinal stenosis patients who choose
to have surgery. These patients come with a unique 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 Back And Neck Care Center and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as
good an outcome as viable, technology may be of help. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait
abnormalities like reduced 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 identify
gait changes quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since
smart shoes may not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic
tests still work, and Back And Neck Care Center knows them well!
Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Back And Neck Care Center
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.
Schedule your Severna Park chiropractic
appointment today to see us especially if you find
your gait being “off” and/or have back pain. Spinal stenosis
may be the culprit, and Back And Neck Care Center knows how to rein it
in!