Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What can chiropractic do to help spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a degenerative condition that affects as many as a half million Americans over the age of fifty, and it is rapidly becoming more common as the average age of Americans increases. Stenosis refers to thickening and hardening of the ligaments of the spine, along with decay in the disks. This causes narrowing of the spinal canal and/or opennings that allow the spinal nerves to travel to the pelvis and legs. The sad thing is that there is no good way to predict who will become affected by this disorder. The symptoms are characterized by nagging pain and stiffness in the lower back. It may be accompanied by pain that radiates into either or both legs, especially when walking for any distance. The classic sign of this condition is that the leg pains subside quickly with sitting or bending forward at the waist. So what can chiropractic do to help spinal stenosis? One of the most promising treatments is the Cox Decompression and Manipulation Method which helps to stretch the ligaments of the lower spine. By stretching the ligaments, their diameter becomes thinner, and they do not crowd the spinal nerves. The Cox Method also helps to increase the intradiscal space ( the area between the vertebrae) helping to alleviate disk degeneration. To find a chiropractor who is a Certified Cox Doctor in your area visit www.coxtechnic.com and click on Cox Physicians.