Healthy News November 2021 Relieving Chiropractic Care for Hyperkyphosis Curves & Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

The spine has its own standard curvature or kyphosis. Wilson Family Chiropractic knows the spine’s curves quite well! Most Millville chiropractic clients don’t think about the spine’s curve, its normalcy or its function, until there is an issue caused by a curve that gets “too” curvy. Consider the thoracic spine, the upper back part of the spine, whose normal kyphosis ranges from 20 to 40 degrees in young spines. For 20% to 40% of over-60-year-old adults, this kyphosis is seen to grow beyond 40°. This “age-related kyphosis” (aka ‘hyperkyphosis’) affects both men and women but is more frequently seen in women who experience more functional disorders like reduced back extensor muscle strength and use of erector spinal muscles in addition to poor health issues. (1,2) Spinal manipulation and mobilization of the thoracic spine are common approaches chiropractors use to treat musculoskeletal issues in older adults with conditions like hyperkyphosis. Older spines effectively received the SMM forces similar to younger spines in research studies. (3) Fortunately, research describes manual therapy as effective to reduce and prevent musculoskeletal problems due to thoracic hyperkyphosis. A recent report noted that such therapy positively influenced the thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength. (4) And a bonus: Thoracic mobilization is shown to increase diaphragmatic excursion and respiratory function to control and avert respiratory dysfunction in patients with thoracic hyperkyphosis. (5) Your Millville chiropractor delivers gentle, effective, distractive thoracic spine manipulation that both relieves hyperkyphosis and is quite comfortable. Once you feel it, you’ll want more!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph D’Angiolillo on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes gentle distraction care of thoracic pain with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common diagnosis for older Millville adults. It is associated with a higher utilization of healthcare services. And surgery isn’t always the solution according to a study reporting that 1 in 3 lumbar spinal stenosis patients had a poor clinical outcome with surgery. Moreover, 36.1% of 529 patients had a poor leg pain outcome while 27.6% had a poor overall outcome. Encouragingly, patients who exercised regularly and those who received pre-operative chiropractic or physiotherapy care were less likely to describe a poor overall outcome. (6) A new study reported that receiving such non-operative care beginning within the first 30 days of diagnosis decreased the use of riskier and more costly health care services in the following year. Fewer than 2% of Medicare beneficiaries started such care in a timely fashion. (7) Lastly, manual manipulation for 8 weeks was shown to be effective for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis by reducing their pain and bettering their function. (8) Wilson Family Chiropractic is ready to get started caring for your spinal stenosis today, non-operatively and safely.

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Schedule your next Millville chiropractic appointment today. Spinal conditions like thoracic spine hyperkyphosis and lumbar spinal stenosis respond well to chiropractic treatment!