Healthy News January 2023

image of Pensacola lumbar spinal stenosis  

LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS: What do to?

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is reportedly one of the most common spinal conditions in the US, impacting over 500 million people over 65 years old. (1) As researchers struggle to propose a more systematic approach to managing patient care for lumbar spinal stenosis patients, your Pensacola chiropractor delivers gentle, safe, pain easing treatment. The most recent attempt at a system stressed that each LSS patient is unique in her/his experience which limits any algorithm to be “soft guidance” as to its treatment plan based primarily on the LSS patient's pain relief with spinal flexion. (2) Since spinal stenosis is characteristically a systemic issue, which means that if you have spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine, you likely have it in other spinal areas like the cervical too, you do not want to ignore it. Further, lumbar spinal stenosis is not a condition that appears and disappears forever. Its pain can be managed, but it’s often “chronic,” meaning it lasts beyond 90 days. Have hope! Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center is experienced in ways to help with lumbar spinal stenosis relief. One study documented that flexion distraction significantly lowered pain and disability for lumbar spinal stenosis patients. (3) Another study reported that chronic back pain sufferers with moderate to severe symptoms improved most with the chiropractic technique, Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction Decompression (CTFDD), compared with physical therapy. (4) Those same patients experienced significantly lower pain scores over the following year than did patients who did physical therapy. (5) LSS patients also have altered gait and balance issues. (1,6) CTFDD helps these things, too! A study regarding the influence of spinal manipulation on balance issues in LSS patients explained that flexion distraction spinal manipulation enhanced function, symptoms, and performance-based mobility in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. (6) We also anticipate the outcomes of a prospective data collection study in its second year for follow-up with patients who underwent CTFDD for relief of their LSS-associated back pain. Data collection will be done later this year with findings being published in the years to come. Pensacola lumbar spinal stenosis is everywhere, and its relieving partner is your Pensacola chiropractor here at Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dean Greenwood on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains his relieving treatment of a spinal stenosis patient with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

image of Pensacola spinal stenosis exercise and walking

TIP OF THE MONTH: Stretch, Strengthen, Walk for LSS Improvement

As a group of researchers sets up a new study to analyze if a 6-week education and exercise program will enhanced the walking capacity of lumbar spinal stenosis patients with neurogenic claudication (7), Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center suggests