Walking Without the Wince: How Chiropractic Care Helps Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
If your legs and feet begin aching, tingling, or feeling shaky after just a short while of walking — but calming down when you lean on a shopping cart or take a seat — you may be dealing with lumbar spinal stenosis. The good news is that in the majority of cases in Largo, this common condition responds well to non-surgical, conservative treatment, and Hollstrom & Associates Inc is here to help you understand why.
WHAT IS LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS?
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) occurs when the spaces within the lower spine narrow, compressing the nerves that extend into the hips and legs. It's a top cause aging patients are referred for spinal surgery, but it isn't always the outcome. The classic sign is neurogenic claudication: pain, cramping, or numbness in the legs that worsens with standing or walking and improves with sitting or forward bending. Because LSS usually develops slowly with changes that come with age in the spine, it's easy to assume surgery is the only option — but the evidence tells a different story. Those who come to Hollstrom & Associates Inc come to know it’s not the only path.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
A 2025 secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial showed that older adults with symptomatic LSS who underwent manual therapy combined with an individualized exercise program showed meaningful gains in how far they could walk and symptom relief, with the greatest gains seen in those who were more physically active. (1) A companion 2026 systematic review verified that spinal manipulative therapy produces outcomes comparable to other frontline options in older adults with chronic spinal conditions, confirming it as a sound choice even for patients managing multiple health concerns. (2) Building on this evidence, a recently launched non-operative, non-pharmacological LSS clinic at a VA facility shows that organized, non-surgical treatment can be delivered effectively and sustainably within a real-world healthcare system. (3)
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR Largo PATIENTS
At Hollstrom & Associates Inc, we use hands-on spinal manipulation, individualized exercise, and research-backed advice to help you move, walk, and live with less pain — without rushing toward surgery or depending solely on medication. If leg discomfort is holding you back, reach out and let's discuss a treatment plan grounded in what the evidence shows truly helps.
CONTACT Hollstrom & Associates Inc
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes what spinal stenosis is and the improvement possible for lumbar spine stenosis with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
