What Is Spinal Stenosis?

With the population aging, we have begun to see an increasing number of patients with spinal stenosis.  Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canals where nerves exit the spinal cord and travel to the lower back and legs.  This narrowing can occur at the spinal canal itself, potentially compressing parts of the spinal cord.  The most common cause of this narrowing is age-related arthritic change.  Resulting symptoms can include back and leg pain, numbness, weakness and a reduced ability to stand and walk.  One of the hallmark postures of a patient with spinal stenosis is a slight forward bend during walking.  Often, patients will describe feeling much better when grocery shopping because of the support afforded by the cart.  Although patients with severe symptoms may require surgery, those with mild or moderate symptoms may benefit from conservative treatment.  A study lead by chiropractor Dr. Carlo Ammedolia found that patients experienced improvements in mobility and pain levels after a 6 week course of care that included hands-on therapy, exercise and recommendations for improved posture.  These results were so impressive that the Arthritis Society funded a larger study which also showed similar benefits.  The so-called boot camp for spinal stenosis has been made available for practitioners and patients alike.  Thus far, we are happy to say to we have seen some encouraging outcomes with Dr. Ammendolia’s treatment protocol.  If you or someone you know is suffering from spinal stenosis, you may want to consider a consultation to see the boot camp program is a treatment option.

References

Ammendolia C, Chow N.  Clinical Outcomes for Neurogenic Claudication Using a Multimodal Program for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Retrospective Study. J Manip Physio Ther. 2015 Jan 22.

Chow N, Ammendolia C et al. Presented at ACC RCC Conference Washington DC, USA, March 2017.