Spinal Stenosis Treatment in Lubbock, TX
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal or the nerve foramina — the small openings through which spinal nerves exit — that compresses the spinal cord or nearby nerve roots. It most often develops gradually in the lumbar (lower back) or cervical (neck) spine as part of the degenerative changes that come with age, and it is one of the most common causes of chronic low back pain, leg pain, and neurogenic claudication (leg pain that worsens with walking or standing). If you are dealing with spinal stenosis in Lubbock, TX, Back 2 Health Chiropractic offers targeted, non-invasive care aimed at relieving the pressure at its source.
Dr. Brett Chavez, D.C. evaluates spinal stenosis with a thorough orthopedic and neurological exam, including in-office X-rays, to confirm the level and severity of narrowing before recommending a personalized treatment plan.
Common Causes and Symptoms
Spinal stenosis develops when structures around the spinal canal encroach on the space available for the spinal cord and nerve roots. Contributing factors include:
- Degenerative disc disease — disc height loss that narrows the space around the nerve roots
- Facet joint arthritis — bony overgrowth (bone spurs) from degenerative joint changes
- Ligament thickening — the ligamentum flavum thickening with age and further narrowing the canal
- Spondylolisthesis — a vertebra slipping forward and reducing canal space
Symptoms typically include low back or neck pain, and — because the condition compresses nerves — pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that radiates into the arms or legs, closely related to what patients experience with sciatica and general arm and leg pain. A hallmark symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis is pain that worsens with standing or walking and improves when sitting or bending forward.
How We Treat Spinal Stenosis
Chiropractic care cannot reverse the structural narrowing itself, but it can relieve the mechanical stress and nerve irritation that narrowing causes — often significantly reducing pain and improving function. Dr. Chavez builds treatment plans around:
- Spinal decompression therapy — gently creating space within the spinal canal and reducing pressure on compressed nerve roots
- Chiropractic adjustments — restoring joint mobility in the segments above and below the area of narrowing to reduce compensatory stress
- Massage therapy — reducing muscle guarding and improving circulation around the affected spinal segments
- Professional stretching — addressing the hip flexor and lumbar extensor tightness that often accompanies stenosis-related posture changes
Spinal Stenosis and Related Nerve Symptoms
Many patients with spinal stenosis also experience numbness and tingling or neuropathy-like symptoms in the extremities, since the underlying mechanism — nerve root compression — is the same. Identifying whether symptoms originate at the spine or elsewhere along the nerve pathway is central to effective care, and Dr. Chavez’s exam is designed to make that distinction before treatment begins.
Schedule Your Spinal Stenosis Evaluation in Lubbock, TX
Spinal stenosis does not have to mean a lifetime of pain medication or an inevitable path to surgery. Back 2 Health Chiropractic in Lubbock, TX offers a conservative, evidence-based approach aimed at relieving pressure and restoring mobility. Call (806) 591-4528 or request your appointment online today.