An Overview of Stenosis
This condition gets its name from the Greek word stenosis which means “choking” which is quite fitting considering its nature. Spinal stenosis is the abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal, it is a condition that can squeeze sensitive spinal nerves and typically occurs in the lower back (lumbar stenosis) and neck (cervical stenosis). You are either born with spinal stenosis or it may develop with age. In fact, the majority of people who experience stenosis are over the age of 50, as it is not common for the onset to be due to natural wear and tear of the spinal discs and gradual degeneration that happens over time. Women are more prone to this condition than men; in people ages 55 to 80, one large study found that about 1 in 4 women experiences spinal stenosis, compared to 1 in 10 men.
While some people may experience no symptoms, others may report pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness with these symptoms worsening over time.
Depending on where the stenosis occurs, should you experience symptoms, they may be as follows:
Lumbar Stenosis
- Pain in the lower back
- Pain, numbness or weakness in the legs and/or buttocks
- Tingling, pain, or weakness in one or both legs. This discomfort becomes more severe after walking or standing for some time. You may find that leaning forward (like on a shopping cart) or sitting will relieve this type of discomfort
Cervical Stenosis
- Clumsiness in the arms or hands. It may be difficult to tie shoelaces, button shirts or blouses, etc.
- Numbness in the hands
- Difficulty balancing
- Bladder or bowel incontinence
Treating spinal stenosis with chiropractic
Living with stenosis can affect your quality of life, a simple shopping trip can turn into a painful ordeal and tingling in the legs can make getting your daily dose of exercise far more difficult. Fortunately, there are solutions available to you that can help to manage any pain and discomfort associated with this condition. One of these can be found at Modern Chiropractic and Pain Relief.
We are proud to be the only clinic in Rochester that combines the SpineMED® decompression system with the LiteCure Class 4 Deep Tissue Laser Therapy® to provide our patients with fantastic outcomes and the ability to return to their usual day to day activities.
Many people may be under the impression that expensive and invasive surgeries are the only option when it comes to treating back pain, however, the Class 4 Deep Tissue Laser offers a cheaper, non-surgical, effective alternative.
Not only does this treatment method reduce pain, inflammation, and enhance tissue healing in ligaments and muscles, but also bones. This is due to the fact that the Class 4 Deep Tissue Laser enhances the microcirculation of red blood cells to the area, providing effective relief from the pain associated with stenosis.
If you believe that you may be suffering from stenosis, give Modern Chiropractic and Pain Relief a call, we will gladly assess you and discuss the various treatment methods we have available to help you with this condition.
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