January 2023 Healthy News from Dr. Butwell Treatment Plan for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Relief
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is reportedly one of the most common spinal conditions in the US, affecting over 500 million people over the age of 62. (1) As researchers grapple with a more systematic approach to managing patient care for lumbar spinal stenosis patients, your Georgetown chiropractor provides gentle, safe, relieving treatment. The latest effort at a system underscored that each LSS patient is unique in her/his experience which limits any algorithm to be “soft guidance” as to its treatment plan based initially on the LSS patient's pain relief with 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 too, you don’t want to ignore it. Further, lumbar spinal stenosis is not a condition that appears and disappears forever. Its pain can be contained, but it’s often “chronic,” meaning it lasts beyond 90 days. Be hopeful! Your chiropractor is experienced in ways to 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 stated 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 year 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 anticipate the outcomes of a prospective data collection study in its second year for follow-up with patients who were treated with CTFDD for relief of their LSS-associated back pain. Data collection will be completed in late 2023 with results being published in the years to come. Georgetown lumbar spinal stenosis is everywhere, and its relieving partner is your Georgetown chiropractor here at Dr. Butwell!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dean Greenwood on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains his relieving treatment of a spinal stenosis patient with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
As a group of researchers starts a new study to see 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! A great deal of research exhibits that lumbar spinal stenosis responds to exercise. A study showed that individualized exercise (stretches and strengthening) mixed with manual therapy (like out CTFDD spinal manipulation mobilization!) outperformed medical care and group exercise with more symptom and function improvement as well as walking capacity at 2 months of care. (8) Dr. Butwell has just the program of stretching, strengthening, and manipulation for you! We’ll design it together!
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We appreciate all of our patients here at Dr. Butwell and look forward to a healthy 2023! Schedule your next Georgetown chiropractic visit with Dr. Butwell soon to maximize your spine’s health. See you then!