Spinal Stenosis Care in Lake Forest, CA

Spinal stenosis — a narrowing of the spinal canal — compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots and creates the characteristic symptoms of pain, numbness, and weakness in the extremities. While chiropractic care cannot reverse bony stenosis, it can significantly improve symptoms by optimizing spinal alignment, reducing disc bulging that further narrows the canal, and improving mobility in adjacent segments that compensate for the stenotic levels. Flexion-based techniques and decompression therapy open the canal space and take pressure off compressed nerves, providing meaningful relief for many patients who thought surgery was their only option.

Stenosis patients at Sycamore Chiropractic receive a modified treatment approach that emphasizes flexion-based care — techniques that gently open the spinal canal rather than extend it. Dr. Petersen uses Cox flexion-distraction, non-surgical spinal decompression, and gentle mobilization techniques suited to the degenerative changes present. Strengthening exercises focus on the core and hip stabilizers to improve posture and reduce load on the stenotic segments. Patients are counseled on activity modifications, such as using a shopping cart or recumbent bicycle, that keep them active while managing symptoms.