Help for La Grande Back Pain's Fatty Paraspinal Muscles
If you have chronic back pain, like many other La Grande back pain patients, odds are you have heard of paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate. This spinal condition can cause a lot of discomfort and can even result in gait disturbances. In this blog post, we'll look more closely at paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate and how it is related to lumbar spinal stenosis and its treatment with spinal manipulation available at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC.
WHAT IS PARASPINAL MUSCLE FATTY INFILTRATE?
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is an accumulation of fat within the muscle tissues around the spine. This condition is often caused by aging or genetics, although it can also be activated by lifestyle factors like poor nutrition or lack of exercise. It is important to note that this condition does not always cause symptoms, but if it does, they can include low back pain, stiffness in the lower back and legs, or difficulty walking due to gait disturbances since gait relies on hip muscles like the gluteus medius. A recent report described how the extent to which the gluteus medius is atrophied (degenerated) influenced lumbar spinal stenosis symptomatology. (1) A leading spinal condition affecting more than 500 million people over 65 years old, lumbar spinal stenosis, is related to distorted gait as gait depends on strong muscle activity. (2) La Grande chiropractic patients know Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC evaluates gait in all our patients during our chiropractic exam.
PARASPINAL FATTY INFILTRATE AND LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate can be associated with lumbar spinal stenosis—a narrowing of the spinal canal that results in lower back pain and even pain down the legs by putting pressure on spinal nerves – and resultant La Grande back pain. Intervertebral disc degeneration and fatty-infiltrated paraspinal muscles – multifidus, erector spinae, etc. – are related and found to cause chronic low back pain and its issues: the more fat, the more degeneration. (3) Other researchers concured that fat infiltration of the paraspinal muscles like the multifidus muscle may be linked to lower back pain when it was not linked to other factors like a person with back pain who was male, older or has a higher BMI older, male, or having a higher BMI. (4) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC offers relieving chiropractic treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis and its back pain.
LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS & SPINAL MANIPULATION
Treatment options for lumbar spinal stenosis vary depending on severity and the healthcare practitioner consulted from drugs and surgery to exercise, nutrition, and/or spinal manipulation and mobilization. One study reported that one treatment of spinal manipulation was found to significantly reduce spinal stiffness and enhanced the multifidus muscle thickness ratio which lasted for more than 7 days in spinal manipulation responders. (5) Your La Grande chiropractor uses such care for back pain relief, especially the well-researched chiropractic Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management. Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management addresses back pain and affiliated muscles.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is a common condition that can trigger a range of issues including low back pain, stiffness in the lower body, and gait disturbances. It is sometimes associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. If you are experiencing any symptoms related to paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate or lumbar spinal stenosis, it's important to visit with your La Grande chiropractor at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC about your treatment options so you can find relief as fast as possible. Schedule your appointment today!