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 connected altered walking patterns! Our Baton Rouge chiropractic patients experiencing spinal stenosis often remark that they walk differently. That makes sense! Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers can help relieve Baton Rouge back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are affected to a greater extent 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 had 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 measured 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 moves in terms of stride, pace, width of step, etc. - gait parameters. There wasn’t 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 important. (3) This is beneficial!
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 recent study investigated the matter of how dynamic alignment of the spine and pelvic might be connected to lumbar spinal function in the everyday life of LSS sufferers and discovered 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) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers seeks to improve the quality of life for our Baton Rouge spinal stenosis patients and appreciates studies that divulge what works. A future study’s goal is to establish 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 elect 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 Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab 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, new tech may be of help. 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 explored - since smart shoes might not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic tests still work, and Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers knows them well! Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab 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 ease spinal stenosis and improve balance.
Make your Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment now to see us especially if you find your gait being “off” and/or experience back pain. Spinal stenosis may be the offender, and Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers knows how to rein it in!
