Let's Talk About Spinal Stenosis

Spinal health isn't a topic that's usually taught to both kids and adults. When it comes to spinal health, and most people use pain as an indicator that something is wrong. An intimidating diagnosis from health professionals is often the motivating factor that pushes people to thoroughly research and understand the issues they are experiencing and the options to better care for their spine. One such diagnosis is spinal stenosis. Here's what you need to know:

Anatomy of the Spine

Your brain communicates messages down your spinal cord. The messages that your brain sends down the cord then veer to different nerves that carry the information to the intended organs, glands, cells, and more. Your spinal cord is protected by your spinal column (comprised of 26 movable bones) and there are tiny holes down the middle of those bones that form the spinal canal. The individual nerves that come off of the spinal cord travel through a small hole exiting the spinal called the intervertebral foramen.

What Is Spinal Stenosis?

To put things simply, spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal in which the spinal cord travels. Bone growth that has encroached upon the spinal canal case causes the narrowing to occur.

You might not know it, but a healthy body consistently breaks down and replaces bone. It is a completely normal process, and how well it occurs depends on numerous factors including hydration, proper nutrition, and proper movement. When those factors aren't taking place (ahem, you aren't caring for yourself very well), the process is disrupted. In an effort to stabilize the spine and its movement, your body attempts to lay down bone in areas where it would not otherwise be laid down. That results in the narrowing of the space through which the body's communication system functions. When that canal is narrowed, your body's ability to function optimally is limited and eventually, you will experience pain.

Can Chiropractic Provide Relief?

Spinal stenosis is degenerative, which means that if you continue to live life as you have been up to the point of your diagnosis, it will continue to get worse. Fortunately, there are many opportunities for change and improvement!

First off, once the bone is laid down, that process cannot be reversed. But it is possible to slow down the process and prevent it from worsening. One of the best ways to accomplish that is through the use of chiropractic care in combination with other behavioral changes.

Chiropractic care is focused on maintaining proper communication in the nervous system by ensuring the spine is as healthy as possible. Chiropractic adjustments can help to restore motion to the spinal joints and create space for the nervous system to perform its jobs with the least amount of interference. When your spine is moving properly, weight distribution and the physics of how the spine moves improves, too. This helps the bone return to normal. Additionally, with regular chiropractic adjustments, patients often state that it's easier to move and for them to hold better posture for longer periods of time. We can also recommend helpful exercises and stretches to increase spinal joint function and decrease pain!

If you would like to experience the benefits of chiropractic care, contact us to schedule a consultation. We want to help you reach optimal health!