Over the years, elderly people are always labeled with the same appearances: saggy looks, grey hair and most of all, curved backs. Did you ever wonder why it turned out like that in the first place? A factor on that is old age of course, but there is also a medical condition for that called Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.
What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis is a medical condition where your spinal canal will narrow resulting to a compression in the spinal cord and nerves. The compression will take place at the level of the lumbar vertebra. Medical experts say that while it can come about as a natural result of aging, other factors can also contribute to the development of the condition.
What you should look out for
There are some symptoms and signs that you should watch out for if you suspect that you or your elderly relatives have Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. The symptoms might show in the coming days, months or even in years. First you should look out for is the back pain you might experience in the coming days that will pass by. Another significant sign is the feeling of weakness from time to time. You might not feel it on the first day but will come on the next day then be gone on the next. Last significant symptom is the feeling of tingling in the legs. Other symptoms include fatigue, the feeling of heaviness all the time, pricking or numbness on some parts of the body and bladder symptoms. These symptoms could even get worse when you try to stand up or walk.
Typical causes
Several causes are linked to be the reason for this condition, but studies show that age is the major factor of its occurrence. Also trauma or injury to the lumbar area from rigid or rigorous activity can be also cause. Other factors that can lead to this problem can be pointed out to be biochemical in nature or which happens inside our body that is also caused by advancing age.
The treatment
If the lumbar spinal stenosis is diagnosed and still in its early stages, the treatment of choice is chiropractic treatment. It’s very appropriate since chiropractic care deals with relieving pain in the nerves, muscles and also bones. You can also take pain killers at therapeutic doses as adjuvant treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. Some famous clinics which offer this service includes Jacksonville Chiropractor. For severe cases, chiropractic treatment isn’t recommended anymore because of the severity of the damage, thus, surgery is the most appropriate intervention.
