Have you heard of spinal stenosis? This common source of back pain affects millions of Americans. Although it is related to degenerative changes in the spine, there are plenty of things our Lexington chiropractor can do for you or your loved one living with this condition.
What is Spinal Stenosis?
"Stenosis" means narrowing. With spinal stenosis, small canals and openings in spinal bones gradually become narrow. This can compress the spinal cord and smaller spinal nerve roots which travel inside these canals. It is most common in the neck (cervical stenosis) and the lower back (lumbar stenosis).
What Are The Risk Factors for Spinal Stenosis?
Advancing age is the most common risk factor for spinal stenosis. The cumulative effects of repetitive trauma and wearing down of spinal tissues can lead to joint inflammation, spinal disc breakdown, and bony overgrowth that all may encroach on spinal canals. Other risk factors for spinal stenosis include:
- Scoliosis
- Trauma
- Tumors
What Are Spinal Stenosis Signs and Symptoms?
It is possible to have spinal stenosis and not know it because sometimes there are no signs and symptoms. If spinal canal narrowing becomes significant enough to compress a nearby nerve, weakness, numbness, tingling, or altered reflexes in an upper or lower extremity may happen. Arm and hand symptoms are caused by cervical stenosis and leg and foot symptoms are caused by lumbar stenosis.
In addition, people with spinal stenosis may notice:
- Stiffness and pain in the spine
- Difficulty walking, maintaining balance, or holding onto things
- Frequent tripping due to an inability to lift the toes (foot drop)
In advanced cases, a person may experience incontinence with bowel and bladder or groin numbness. This could relate to a rare condition known as cauda equina syndrome (compression of the bundle of nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord) and is considered a medical emergency. Call 911 right away.
What Can Our Lexington Chiropractor Do for Spinal Stenosis?
Our Lexington chiropractor can help you find relief from your spinal stenosis symptoms through several non-invasive treatments like:
- Spinal decompression and gentle adjustments to trigger natural pain relief and reduce pressure on nerves
- Corrective exercises, to build strength and endurance of core muscles for better support of your spine
- Lifestyle education, to improve posture, activity levels, ergonomics, and stress management
- Electrical muscular stimulation, to block pain
- Custom orthotics to improve skeletal alignment and reduce pressure on nerves
Do You Have Spinal Stenosis?
Contact Lynch Chiropractic Center in Lexington, KY at (859) 266-1999 to schedule an initial consultation today! We can help you get to the source of your pain and other symptoms so you can get back to your day-to-day life feeling better than ever.
