Can a Chiropractor Help With Spinal Stenosis?
Lumbar and cervical stenosis can be a serious condition.
Can a chiropractor help with spinal stenosis?
Whether you’re suffering from a degenerative condition or a car accident injury, the pain, tingling, and numbness caused by spinal stenosis can have a debilitating effect on your life.
It’s likely that your doctor recommended a series of pain relievers, physical therapy treatments, or even surgery to treat this condition. But is that necessary? Can a chiropractor help with spinal stenosis?
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into this condition to uncover what you can expect.
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis occurs when the space within the spinal column is too small, putting pressure on the spinal cord and surrounding nerves.
Your spinal cord runs through the openings in the middle of your vertebrae, with nerve roots branching out in between each vertebra. If this opening is constricted in some way, it puts pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots, sending signals of pain and discomfort to other areas of the body.
While this narrowing of the spinal cord can be caused by a variety of different conditions, spinal stenosis occurs most often in adults over the age of 50.
Any part of your spine may be affected, but in most cases, it originates in the cervical spine (neck) or lumbar spine (lower back).
Causes of Spinal Stenosis
Most cases of spinal stenosis are caused by osteoarthritis. In this degenerative condition, wear and tear of your vertebrae rubbing against each other can lead to the growth of bone spurs. As these bone spurs grow, they can put pressure on the surrounding nerves.
Arthritis isn’t the only cause of spinal stenosis, however. Herniated discs, thickened ligaments, tumors, Paget’s disease, and spinal injuries may also be to blame. You can also be born with a smaller spinal column than normal.
In short, anything that infringes on the space inside your vertebrae can lead to spinal stenosis.
Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
The type and severity of spinal stenosis symptoms depends on where the stenosis is and how much the spinal canal is narrowed.
- Back or neck pain
- Sciatica
- Balance issues
- Leg cramps when standing or walking
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Tingling
- Loss of bladder and/or bowel control
In order to pinpoint the source of your symptoms, your doctor will use X-rays, MRI, or CT scans to locate the stenosis.
Do I Need Spinal Stenosis Surgery?
Treatment options for spinal stenosis include use of pain relievers, physical therapy, steroid shots, and—in the most severe cases—surgery.
However, surgery is not necessary in all cases.
While some surgical procedures can be helpful at reducing pain in the long term, others have found that their symptoms were not improved by surgery. Furthermore, surgical procedures come with their own set of risks.
If your doctor recommends surgery as a first course of treatment for spinal stenosis, get a second opinion to see if there are other options available.
Can a Chiropractor Help With Spinal Stenosis?
Yes! Chiropractic care can be incredibly beneficial for spinal stenosis sufferers, especially in the early stages of the condition.
If the spinal canal is narrowed due to a herniated disc or misaligned vertebrae, chiropractic adjustments can improve your symptoms at the source by alleviating pressure on the nerves.
Another chiropractic treatment for spinal stenosis is flexion-distraction, which can relieve pressure caused by compressed discs.
Because chiropractic treatment has no side effects, it is often preferred as a natural, holistic way of addressing pain and discomfort.
Get Back To Normal With Oviedo Chiropractic
The symptoms of spinal stenosis can be debilitating, but with the right form of care, most patients live completely normal lives.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with this condition, finding a non-invasive treatment method without unpleasant side effects is likely at the top of your list of concerns. Fortunately, Oviedo Chiropractic can help.
Our five-star rated chiropractors have been helping patients just like you recover from their pain and discomfort without resorting to surgery or prescription painkillers. We have an on-site X-ray to confirm diagnosis, a full staff of medical massage therapists, and convenient office hours to fit any schedule.
Contact us today to make an appointment.
