Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to track gait irregularities and associated
transformed walking patterns! Our Vancouver chiropractic
patients dealing with 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 affected to a greater extent by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those
who also experience lumbar spinal stenosis find themselves even more
affected. 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 showed 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 underwent 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 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 good!
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 delved
into the matter of how dynamic alignment
of the spine and pelvic might be connected to lumbar spinal
function in the daily life of LSS sufferers and discovered
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
aims to enhance the quality of life for our Vancouver
spinal stenosis patients and values studies that share
what works. A future study’s goal is to form
a set of data that can assist in defining and/or altering 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 distinctive set of
issues concerning posture, balance, ambulation biomechanics,
paraspinal muscle quality and fatigue rates, as well as symptoms. (5) All of
these have a role in a lumbar spinal stenosis
patient’s care at Vancouver Disc Centers and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To ensure as
good an outcome as possible, technology may come
to the rescue. With lumbar spinal stenosis come gait
abnormalities like decreased 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 sense
gait variations quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since
smart shoes might not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic
tests remain effective, and Vancouver Disc Centers knows them well!
Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Nate McKee on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management helps ease spinal stenosis and improve
balance.
Schedule your Vancouver chiropractic
appointment now to visit us especially if you find
your gait being “off” and/or have back pain. Spinal stenosis
may be the offender, and Vancouver Disc Centers knows how to rein it
in!