[Health Column] Spinal Stenosis: Pay Attention to the Signals Your Legs Send Before Your Back!

 

hello, Director Moon Ji-hwan of Rebom Oriental Medicine Hospital no see.

 

When you walk, your calves and thighs easily become sore,
If your legs start to feel numb after walking just a little bit and you have to rest, is it simply fatigue?

Many people only think of back pain, Spinal stenosis often first presents itself in the legs.

Today this disease Why does it occur, why does it repeat, and from what perspective should we look at it? cast
Let's organize it to fit our daily experiences.

 

Why does spinal stenosis occur?

The cause of spinal stenosis is not the 'result' of nerve compression, The process of 'reducing the space' through which nerves pass This is the key.

 

As I get older
✔️ The posterior joint is getting thicker and thicker
✔️ The ligaments become stiff
✔️ The alignment of the waist and pelvis may be disrupted.

 

If this condition continues Weight is repeatedly placed on a specific area ,
In that cumulative process The space in the passage through which the nerve passes gradually decreases.

 

At first, it may feel like simple leg fatigue and be easy to miss, but
⚠️ If you experience recurring discomfort while walking, it may be an early sign.

 

“It used to be a no-brainer, but these days it’s hard to walk without taking frequent breaks.”

👉 Instead of simply dismissing recurring walking discomfort as ‘due to age,’ it is better to examine the cause.

 

What are the symptoms of spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is Discomfort varies depending on posture This is a representative feature.

 

✔️ If you straighten your back, the discomfort will get worse (the space for the nerves to pass through becomes narrower)
✔️ A feeling of temporary relief when bending over (the space for the nerves to pass through is temporarily expanded)

 

Because of this, many people Walking posture with the back unconsciously bent will be taken.

However, this posture actually increases lumbar instability.
⚠️ spinal canal It can accelerate the progression of stenosis.

 

 

🔸 Symptoms that may appear together

• Reduced walking distance

• Feeling like my legs are losing strength

• sensory changes

 

 

👉 If symptoms change depending on posture, it may be a structural problem rather than simple muscle pain.

 

Why does spinal stenosis recur or worsen?

Because the 'reason' for the narrowing of the neural canal has not been resolved.

 

Spinal stenosis is not simply a recurring “narrowing of the nerve canal.”

✔️ If the axis of the waist and pelvis remains collapsed,
✔️ The weight remains in the same position
✔️ Changes such as posterior joint hypertrophy and ligament hypertrophy accumulate again.

(Hypertrophy, simply put, is more than the original Thickened and enlarged no see.)

 

So many people Repeating the pattern of “getting better and then feeling uncomfortable again” It will be done.

 

 

 

“I was fine for a while after the treatment, but at some point I had trouble walking again.”

👉 Rather than just alleviating symptoms, Why is it repeated? We need a perspective that looks at it together.

 

 

Why should we look at spinal stenosis structurally?

When treating spinal stenosis This is because we look at the ‘alignment flow’ of the waist-pelvis-hip joint, not just the waist.

 

Spinal stenosis is
👉 It is the 'result' of a pinched nerve
👉 The process of accumulated change as alignment collapses no see.

 

 

The treatment used at this time is
✔️ Alignment-based manual therapy
✔️ Spinal Alignment Restoration

 

It doesn't just stop at relaxing your muscles,
Considering the axes of the pelvis, lumbar spine, and hip joints together Direction to reduce lumbar shaking and instability It proceeds as follows.

 

When the alignment is stable
✔️ Reduces the burden on the nerves when walking
✔️ An environment is created that can alleviate the inconvenience of walking in daily life.

 

 

It is important to “not just look at the narrow space, but to correct why it has become narrow.”

 

FAQ

Q1. Does all spinal stenosis require surgery?
A1. Not all cases are candidates for surgery.

Many people can manage it with non-surgical treatment and lifestyle management.

However, if there are changes in nerve function such as decreased leg strength, loss of sensation, or urinary difficulty, prompt treatment is required.

 

Q2. Is walking exercise helpful?
A2. While it may help in some situations, forcing yourself to walk while out of alignment can actually make the discomfort worse.

It is important to adjust the amount and method of walking according to your individual condition.

 

Q3. If the pain is reduced, does that mean the stenosis has improved?
A3. It is difficult to determine recovery based on pain reduction alone.

If the structural cause remains, symptoms may reappear.

 

 

 

 

 

📌Spinal stenosis Structural disorders that affect walking ability beyond back pain no see.

So rather than simply reducing inconvenience,
✔️ Why the neural canal is narrow
✔️ What alignment changes have accumulated?
It is important to look at the process together.

 

Although not all of your current symptoms may be signs of illness,
If you experience recurring discomfort while walking in your daily life It's a good idea to check it out once in a while.
Through consultation with a specialist Management direction that suits your condition Please take a look.

 

 

 

Rebom Oriental Medicine Hospital Gangnam Branch

Director Moon Ji-hwan

 

Graduated from Kyung Hee University College of Oriental Medicine

Kyung Hee University Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Doctoral Program

Visiting Professor, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University

Former Director of Sasang Medical Banryong Oriental Medical Clinic

Former Director of the Department of Oriental Medicine, Chonnam National University Hwasun Geriatric Hospital

Executive Director of the Korean Society of Spinal Orthopedics

Member of the Korean Society of Oriental Medicine

Member of the Korean Society of Oriental Internal Medicine

Member of the Korean Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine

Member of the Korean Society of Oriental Medicine

Research Fellow, Korean Society of Joint Rehabilitation

Member of the Korean Society of Obesity Studies

 

 

 

 

👉 If you have any discomfort when walking, check out the manual therapy at Rebom Oriental Medicine Hospital.