Healthy News January 2023

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is reportedly one of the most common spinal conditions in the US, impacting more than 500 million people over 65 years old. (1) As researchers grapple with a more systematic approach to managing patient care for lumbar spinal stenosis patients, your Pflugerville chiropractor provides gentle, safe, pain easing treatment. The latest effort at a system emphasized that each LSS patient is unique in her/his experience which restrains any algorithm to be “soft guidance” as to its treatment plan based primarily on the LSS patient's pain relief in 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 as well, you don’t want to overlook 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! Your chiropractor can help with lumbar spinal stenosis relief. One study documented that flexion distraction significantly reduced pain and disability for lumbar spinal stenosis patients. (3) Another study reported that chronic back pain sufferers with moderate to severe symptoms got better the most with the chiropractic technique, Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction Decompression (CTFDD), compared with physical therapy. (4) Those same patients had significantly lower pain scores over the following 12 months than did patients who did physical therapy. (5) LSS patients also have altered gait and balance concerns. (1,6) CTFDD helps these issues, too! A study regarding the influence of spinal manipulation on balance issues in LSS patients explained that flexion distraction spinal manipulation improved function, symptoms, and performance-based mobility in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. (6) We also look forward to the outcomes of a prospective data collection study in its second year of follow-up with patients who underwent CTFDD for relief of their LSS-associated back pain. Data collection will be done later this year with results being published in the years to come. Pflugerville lumbar spinal stenosis is everywhere, and its relieving partner is your Pflugerville chiropractor here at Pflugerville Wellness Center!

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

As a set of researchers starts a new study to analyze if a 6-week education and exercise program will improve the walking capacity of lumbar spinal stenosis patients who also have neurogenic claudication (7), we} recommend walking and exercising now! Much research indicates that lumbar spinal stenosis responds to exercise. One study revealed that individualized exercise (stretches and strengthening) mixed with manual therapy (like out CTFDD spinal manipulation mobilization!) beat medical care and group exercise with more symptom and function improvement as well as walking capacity at 2 months of care. (8) Pflugerville Wellness Center has just the program of stretching, strengthening, and manipulation for you! We will design it together!

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We are grateful for all of our patients here at Pflugerville Wellness Center and look forward to a healthy 2023! Schedule your next Pflugerville chiropractic appointment with Pflugerville Wellness Center soon to maximize your spine’s health. See you then!