If you suffer from chronic back pain, like
many other Ashburn back pain patients, chances
are you’ve heard of paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate. This spinal
issue can cause a great deal of discomfort and can even
result in gait disturbances. In this blog post, we'll look more
closely at paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate and how it
is associated with lumbar spinal stenosis and its treatment
with spinal manipulation available at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn.
WHAT IS PARASPINAL MUSCLE FATTY INFILTRATE?
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is a build-up of fat within the muscle tissues located
near the spine. Genetics or aging are often culprits of this condition,
but it can
also be triggered by lifestyle factors like eating
poorly or not exercising. It is
important to note that this condition
does not always cause symptoms, but if it does, they can involve
low back pain, stiffness in the lower back and legs, or difficulty walking due
to gait disturbances as gait relies on hip muscles
like the gluteus medius. A recent report described how
the extent to which the gluteus medius is atrophied (degenerated)
impacted lumbar spinal stenosis symptomatology. (1) One of the most common spinal problems
impacting more than 500 million people over 65 years old,
lumbar spinal stenosis, is related to distorted
gait as gait relies on strong muscle activity. (2)
Ashburn chiropractic patients know Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn evaluates gait
in all our patients during our chiropractic exam.
PARASPINAL FATTY INFILTRATE AND LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate can be associated
with lumbar spinal stenosis—a narrowing of the spinal canal that leads to lower back pain and even pain down the legs by putting
pressure on spinal nerves – and resulting
Ashburn back pain. Intervertebral disc degeneration and
fatty-infiltrated paraspinal muscles – multifidus, erector spinae, etc. – are linked
and found to contribute to chronic low back pain and related
issues: the fattier, the more degenerated.
(3) Other researchers concured that fat infiltration of the
paraspinal muscles like the multifidus muscle may be associated
with lower back pain when it was not linked to other
factors like a person with back pain being
older, male, or having a higher BMI]78]. (4) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn offers alleviating
chiropractic treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis and its back pain.
LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS & SPINAL MANIPULATION
There are various treatment options for spinal stenosis influenced by the
severity and the healthcare practitioner who was seen from nutrition,
surgery, exercise, drugs, and/or
spinal manipulation and mobilization. One study described
that one session of spinal manipulation significantly decreased spinal
stiffness and enhanced the multifidus muscle thickness ratio which
maintained for more than 7 days for spinal manipulation
responders. (5) Your Ashburn chiropractor uses the
latter for back pain relief, particularly the
well-researched chiropractic Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management. Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how The
Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management addresses back pain and
affiliated muscles.
CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is a common condition
that can trigger a range of issues including low
back pain, stiffness in the lower body, and gait disturbances. It is sometimes
associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. If you are experiencing any
symptoms related to paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate or
lumbar spinal stenosis, it's important to speak with
your Ashburn chiropractor at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn about your treatment
options so you can find relief as quickly as possible.
Make your appointment today!