Spinal stenosis affects gait…and today they’re working with “smart
shoes” to measure gait abnormalities and connected
altered walking patterns! Our La Grande chiropractic
patients experiencing spinal stenosis often remark
that they walk differently. That makes sense! Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC can help relieve
La Grande back pain and the related effects of spinal stenosis.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS
Older folks are ever
more affected by frailty and locomotive syndrome, and those
who also have 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 were documented to have locomotive syndrome while 24.8% had frailty. Post-surgically,
those with frailty exhibited improvement in locomotion.
(1) Yet surgery doesn’t 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 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 change in spatiotemporal parameters. (2) Cox®
flexion distraction treatment produced 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 valuable!
SPINAL STENOSIS AND POSTURE
It’s also good 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 related to lumbar spinal
function in the daily life of LSS sufferers and found
that weak hip or trunk extensor muscles, a greater pelvic
tilt angle, or less spinal flexion during gait resulted
in decreased daily-life lumbar function. (4) Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
aims to improve the quality of life for our La Grande
spinal stenosis patients and values studies that divulge
what works. A future 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 concerning 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 Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC and outcome.
SPINAL STENOSIS AND BACK PAIN AND SMART SHOES!
To make sure that the clinical outcome is as
good an outcome as possible, technology 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 identify
gait changes quicker, easier, and cheaper. (6) In the meantime while their accuracy and cost-effectiveness are analyzed - since
smart shoes may not be for everyone - the old fashioned in-clinic
tests remain effective, and Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC knows them well!
Find out during your exam!
CONTACT Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
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 relieve spinal stenosis and increase
balance.
Schedule your La Grande 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 Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC knows how to rein it
in!