Healthy News November 2021 Relieving Chiropractic Care for Hyperkyphosis Curves & Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

The spine has its own standard curvature or kyphosis. Pflugerville Wellness Center knows the spine’s curves quite well! Most Pflugerville chiropractic clients don’t give a second though to the spine’s curve, its normalcy or its function, until there is an issue caused by a curve that is overly curvy. Take for example the thoracic spine, the upper back part of the spine. Its normal kyphosis ranges from 20 to 40 degrees in young spines. For 20% to 40% of over-60-year-old adults, this kyphosis is seen to grow beyond 40°. This “age-related kyphosis” (aka ‘hyperkyphosis’) affects both men and women but is more often described to affect women who experience more functional disorders like reduced back extensor muscle strength and use of erector spinal muscles plus other poor health conditions. (1,2) Spinal manipulation and mobilization of the thoracic spine are common ways chiropractors treat musculoskeletal issues in older adults with conditions like hyperkyphosis. Older spines effectively experienced the SMM forces similar to younger spines in research studies. (3) Fortunately, manual therapy has been researched and described as effective to decrease and prevent musculoskeletal problems because of thoracic hyperkyphosis. A recent report noted that such therapy adjusted the thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength. (4) And a bonus: Thoracic mobilization is shown to boost diaphragmatic excursion and respiratory function to manage and prevent respiratory dysfunction in patients with thoracic hyperkyphosis. (5) Your Pflugerville chiropractor delivers gentle, effective, distractive thoracic spine manipulation that both relieves hyperkyphosis and is quite comfortable. Once you feel it, you will ask for it again!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph D’Angiolillo on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes gentle distraction care of upper spine pain with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a not uncommon diagnosis for older Pflugerville adults. It is related to higher utilization of healthcare services. And surgery is not always the answer according to a study that reported how 1 in 3 lumbar spinal stenosis patients experienced a poor clinical outcome with surgery. Also, 36.1% of 529 patients had a poor leg pain outcome while 27.6% had a poor overall outcome. Promisingly, patients who exercised on a regular basis and those who received pre-operative chiropractic or physiotherapy care were less likely to report a poor overall outcome. (6) A new study stated that receiving such non-operative care starting within the first 30 days of diagnosis decreased the use of riskier and more costly health care services in the following year. Fewer than 2% of Medicare beneficiaries receive such care in a timely fashion. (7) Lastly, manual manipulation for 8 weeks was shown to be effective for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis by easing their pain and improving their function. (8) Pflugerville Wellness Center is ready to get started treating your spinal stenosis today, non-operatively and safely.

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Make your next Pflugerville chiropractic appointment today. Spine conditions like thoracic spine hyperkyphosis and lumbar spinal stenosis respond well to chiropractic treatment!