New Research from Johnson Chiropractic: Exercise Helps Spinal Stenosis Patients, Regardless of Severity
Hearing a diagnosis of spinal stenosis or a disc protrusion often makes exercise feel intimidating — what if the wrong movement makes things worse? Two new research papers published in this year offer genuine peace of mind, and they're worth sharing with your doctor of chiropractic at Johnson Chiropractic as you map out your care plan.
A "SEVERE" SCAN DOESN'T MEAN EXERCISE WON'T HELP
A sizable retrospective study following 1,806 patients with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis through an exercise-based rehabilitation program was published in Physical Therapy, and its findings push back on a widespread assumption. (1) Researchers found that participants improved significantly in pain, disability, strength, medication use, and function — and there was no meaningful difference in how well participants responded to exercise based on how advanced their stenosis appeared on scans, with more than 1 in 10 participants able to discontinue narcotic pain medication entirely. In other words: a "severe" scan does not mean exercise won't help you.
FOR DISC PROTRUSION, TARGETED STABILIZATION WORK PAYS OFF
A randomized clinical trial published in Health Science Reports followed a group of 60 patients with a single-sided lumbar disc protrusion for eight weeks, comparing standard physiotherapy on its own to standard physiotherapy paired with supervised stabilization exercises targeting the deep trunk muscles. While both groups got better across pain, disability, and range of motion, the stabilization group's improvement was significantly larger — and ultrasound imaging showed better activation of the deep abdominal muscles and multifidus that help support the low back. Just as encouraging: across the full study period of supervised training, no participant experienced a decline in symptoms or a exercise-related injury, only some mild, short-lived muscle soreness early on. (2)
LET’S TALK AT YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT
Neither study is a green light for jumping into just any workout, and the right program is shaped by your particular imaging, symptoms, and goals — so before starting or changing an exercise routine, talk with your treating chiropractor at Johnson Chiropractic in Richmond, who can help you move toward relief with confidence instead of fear.
Check out this podcast with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the benefit of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for spinal stenosis.
