How Chiropractic Care Helps Spinal Stenosis
By Madhusudhan Tammisetti
Chiropractic care uses non-invasive methods to relieve unpleasant symptoms and resolve spinal stenosis at its root. If you are diagnosed with spinal stenosis in the cervical, lumbar, or thoracic spines, chiropractic treatment may be an option for you.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a disorder in which the spinal canal narrows. The term stenosis is a Greek word that means choking. The natural wearing and tearing on vertebrae and spinal discs often result in the spinal discs' slow deterioration that leads to stenosis, which is most frequent in adults above 50 years.
The spinal canal holds the cervical spine, which is an important nervous system part, and soft tissue, including ligaments, dura, and veins, which protects the spine. The normal canal width is 14 mm, but the soft tissue and the spine occupy about 10 mm in the canal, allowing little space for anything else.
The spine's vertebrae may get arthritis, the ligaments that link the vertebrae may collapse, and you may see the bulging of intervertebral discs as you become older. These changes may result in spinal stenosis, a condition in which the space inside the canal narrows. Spinal stenosis may affect any of the spine's three levels. But it's more common in the lumbar and cervical spines.
Symptoms
The spinal cord is pinched or choked when narrowing occurs in the spinal canal. Weakness, numbness, and radiating pain in sections of the spine may happen when this occurs. Based on the occurrence of stenosis in the lumbar, thoracic, or cervical spine, the symptoms may differ.
Because the thoracic spine is less movable than the lower back and neck, thoracic spinal stenosis is more uncommon than lumbar or cervical stenosis. The most prevalent kind of stenosis is lumbar spinal stenosis. It is due to the fact that the lumbar spine bears the upper body's weight and any extra weight you may be carrying.
Chiropractic Care for Spinal Stenosis
While holistically treating spinal stenosis, a chiropractor may look into the symptoms, the status of the spine, how the body is feeling, and what makes the symptoms worse.
A chiropractor may strive to relieve compression of the nerves caused due to the stenosis after diagnosing the exact source of the pain.
The aim of chiropractic therapy is to increase the spinal canal space for the spine. A patient suffering from spinal stenosis may have their symptoms reduced by correcting disc dislocation, releasing tension retained in muscles, and eliminating pressure on spinal nerves.
Also, chiropractic treatment is much less intrusive than other alternative treatments such as open spine surgery and injections, and it does not need the use of harmful medicines.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in San Antonio, Tex.