Spinal Stenosis Affects Gait and Causes Back Pain
Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart shoes” to track gait abnormalities and associated altered walking patterns! Our Vancouver chiropractic patients who have spinal stenosis often comment that they walk differently. That makes sense! Vancouver Disc Centers can help relieve Vancouver back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are increasingly 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 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. After surgery, those with frailty exhibited improvement in locomotion. (1) Yet surgery does not necessarily enhance 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 had decompression surgery to determine 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 change 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 meaningful. (3) This is good!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also beneficial to understand that lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient’s static spine and pelvic posture are related to their symptoms. A recent study investigated the subject 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 smaller spinal flexion during gait resulted in lower daily-life lumbar function. (4) Vancouver Disc Centers seeks to improve the quality of life for our Vancouver spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that disclose what works. An up-coming 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 unique set of issues regarding posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics, paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of these contribute to a lumbar spinal stenosis patient’s care at Vancouver Disc Centers and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To make sure that the clinical outcome is as good an outcome as viable, technology may come to the rescue. 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 variations quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are explored - since smart shoes might not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic tests still work, and Vancouver Disc Centers knows them well! Find out during your examination!
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
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 relieve spinal stenosis and increase balance.
Make your Vancouver 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 Vancouver Disc Centers knows how to deal with it!
