Can Chiropractic help with Spinal Stenosis

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is defined as a narrowing of the spinal canal. The spinal canal, also known as the spinal column, is the protective sheath around the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the bundle of nerves that comes out of the base of the brain stem and runs down the center of the entire spine with nerves that branch off of it all the way down and send signals from the brain to the entire rest of the body. The spinal cord itself is inside the protective canal, floating in cerebral spinal fluid which provides insulation and protection. When that canal has abnormal pressure placed on it, it can impact the ability of the nervous system to communicate through the spinal cord by squeezing the nerves, hindering signaling, or by applying stretching tension on the spinal cord, which can also impact the communication of the nervous system, and even cause damage.

Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis

This squeezing pressure on the spinal cord and the nerve roots within the spine can occur in the neck and lower back, and depending on the area, different symptoms can arise, although some people with spinal stenosis have no noticeable symptoms. Symptoms can occur, and these can include pain, numbness, and muscle weakness. In the cervical spine symptoms can include neck pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or hands. With lumbar spinal stenosis sometimes low back pain can be felt, but pain can also occur in one or both legs. Sometimes people will feel weakness or numbness in their leg or foot as well which can lead to problems with walking and balance. More severe symptoms of lumbar stenosis can also include feeling problems with the bowel or bladder. This can often be worsened after standing for a long period of time, or after walking. Often, in the lower extremities, people will find that the symptoms improve when bending forward or sitting.

What Causes Spinal Stenosis?

There are many possible causes of spinal stenosis. With age and wear and tear on the body, sometimes people can develop degenerative disc disease which can cause arthritic changes in the spine. Arthritic changes will usually present as extra bone growth on the spine, known as bone spurs. These do not necessarily grow out of the spine, but can grow into the spine and push into the spinal canal and develop spinal stenosis.

A herniated disc can also cause spinal stenosis. The supportive spinal discs in between the spinal vertebra, called intervertebral discs, are basically a doughnut of cartilage surrounding a jelly center called the nucleus pulposus. Those discs provide shock absorption for the spine. If that disc is damaged from spinal injuries, particularly compression, that jelly center can squish out and push into the spinal canal, and spinal stenosis occurs.

But one of the most common causes of spinal stenosis is injury. Car accidents and other traumas such as a fall or blow to the spine can cause spinal bones to break, or can cause swelling of the tissues surrounding the spine causing narrowing and putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots.

What can help treat spinal stenosis patients?

Often, spinal stenosis patients will be seeking pain relief, so common treatment for spinal stenosis will involve some form of medication to help relieve pain. Sometimes steroid shots can help reduce the inflammation around the affected nerve roots. However, this does not treat the cause of the pain. Some providers will prescribe physical therapy to help build up endurance and strength and help improve flexibility in the spine. In severe cases, some providers may even recommend spinal surgery to help create more space within the spinal canal.

But one of the most effective, and least invasive treatment for spinal stenosis is chiropractic care.

How does Chiropractic treatment help spinal stenosis?

Chiropractic treatment for spinal stenosis, instead of focusing on the pain caused by the stenosis, focuses on relieving the pressure placed on the nerve roots by bettering the alignment of the spine. Chiropractic adjustments help relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by restoring proper alignment of the spine and not letting it sit in poor posture. Chiropractors can utilize multiple techniques to work on relieving pressure on the spine, including flexion distraction manipulation, torque release technique, and others. Furthermore, this adjustment often also helps improve flexibility and range of motion in the spine, relieving pain, which often helps the patient feel more enabled in their life to be active and mobile without fear of pain or further injury.

Call today and see how Chiropractic treatment can help you!

Prenatal Chiropractic Care in Glenwood Springs, CO | Your Complete Guide – 2022

The vast majority of pregnant women experience some pain in the pelvic and lower back regions during their pregnancy. According to one study, approximately half of all pregnant women develop back pain before giving birth to their babies.

Unfortunately, a group of these patients develops debilitating pain that forces them to stay at home or get admitted to the hospital.

You might be thinking: “Can’t they just take some painkillers?”

Well, it is not that simple. You see, pregnancy and pharmacological drugs do not mix. This makes chiropractic care a very attractive choice to relieve pains and discomforts while providing other health benefits. In this post, we will cover everything you need to know about the benefits of chiropractic care in helping pregnant women. We will also touch on an interesting technique that helps with the breech position known as Webster’s technique.

The benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a continuous process of hormonal fluctuations and physical changes that place a toll on your posture and cause pain.

Additionally, the size of your baby is constantly increasing, which gradually shifts your center of gravity. This will have some negative consequences on your muscles and pelvis.

To relieve these aches, our experts will use various techniques that take into consideration your anatomy and initial complaints.

Doing this will alleviate the need to take any medications that could potentially place your baby in jeopardy.

According to one large study, scientists found that ¾ of pregnant women who try chiropractic care experience significant pain relief.

Furthermore, working on adjusting your center of gravity will help you feel energized and at ease during the rest of your journey.

After getting familiar with the generalities, let us dig deeper into the benefits of seeking the help of a Pregnancy Chiropractor in Glenwood Springs, CO:

1.      Pregnancy Chiropractic Care Relieves Pain

Your prenatal chiropractor in Glenwood Springs will ensure that your spine is aligned, then work on your muscles, joints, and ligaments to increase their stability.

After a few sessions, you will notice a drastic change in your symptoms, as well as the ability to perform day-to-day activities.

Besides relieving your pain, chiropractic care will also lower the risk of any musculoskeletal injuries, which is super important for pregnant women.

2.      Prenatal Chiropractic Care Reduces Nausea 

One of the cardinal signs of being pregnant is the constant feeling of nausea. Fortunately, the physical manipulation of your autonomic nervous system will temper down this reaction and help you feel better.

If your nausea becomes insupportable despite chiropractic care and medications, make sure to mention that to your doctor on your next prenatal care visit.

3.      Helps with repositioning the baby (i.e., Webster’s technique)

As you may know, if your baby is presenting in a breech position, vaginal delivery is not an option. In this case, your doctor will recommend a C-section, especially if the breech is only discovered during your delivery day.

Fortunately, there is a method known as Webster’s technique, which stabilizes the sacrum and modifies fetal positioning. To perform this technique, you need to consult with a chiropractor with special certification. However, you do not have to look far since all of our chiropractors are Webster technique certified.

4.      Reduces the duration of labor

According to studies, women who receive chiropractic care during their pregnancy will have shorter labor durations. The exact numbers lay between a 25% to a 31% shorter duration.

Experts believe this is the result of the improved alignment of the pelvic organs, decreasing the intrauterine pressure and allowing the baby to get through the birth canal more easily.

5.      Improves postpartum outcome

While this benefit may be a bit beyond the scope of this article, postpartum bleeding and pain are common complications that often reflect the quality of prenatal care.

Seeing a chiropractor before delivering your baby will smooth out labor and lower the risk of complications. Moreover, many new moms complain of backaches and neck pain when they breastfeed their children. In this case, chiropractic care can help you even after your baby is born.

The safety of chiropractic care during pregnancy

It is natural to express some concerns about any practice when you are pregnant. The good news is that chiropractic care does not involve any invasive procedures or medications that harm the baby. Therefore, it is completely safe for pregnant women.

Think of this practice as physical therapy that’s designed to relax your muscles and improve your health.

With all of that said, there are some contraindications to chiropractic care during pregnancy, including:

·       Active vaginal bleeding

·       Ectopic pregnancy

·       Placental dysfunctions (e.g., placenta previa, placenta abruption)

Fortunately, our chiropractors, at Trailhead Family Chiropractic, are certified in prenatal care, as well as some advanced techniques related to pregnancy (e.g., Webster’s technique).

Our experts will use adjustable tables to accommodate the larger abdominal circumference.

If you are still concerned about prenatal chiropractic in Glenwood Springs, you can always speak with your primary care physician or OB-GYN for tailored medical advice.

Takeaway message

Getting the help of a prenatal chiropractor in Glenwood Springs is a fantastic therapeutic approach for pregnant women. It is a safe practice that carries little to no side effects, making it an appealing choice for all people, including pregnant women.

We hope that this article helped you appreciate the role of chiropractic care in helping pregnant women and how we can use its technique to correct the breech position.