New Research from Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic: Exercise Helps Spinal Stenosis Patients, Regardless of Severity
If you've been told you have spinal stenosis or a disc protrusion, it's natural to feel wary of exercise — could exercise actually cause more damage? Two studies published in 2026 offer genuine peace of mind, and they're worth sharing with your doctor of chiropractic at Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic as you work toward feeling better.
A "SEVERE" SCAN DOESN'T MEAN EXERCISE WON'T HELP
A sizable retrospective study following 1,806 patients with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis through an exercise-based rehabilitation program was published in Physical Therapy, and its findings push back on a long-held assumption. (1) Researchers found that study participants improved significantly in pain, function, strength, disability, and medication use — and there was no meaningful difference in how well participants responded to exercise based on how severe their stenosis looked on imaging, with more than 1 in 10 participants able to stop using narcotic pain medication altogether. In other words: a "severe" scan does not mean exercise won't help you.
FOR DISC PROTRUSION, TARGETED STABILIZATION WORK PAYS OFF
A controlled clinical trial published in the journal Health Science Reports followed a group of 60 patients with a single-sided lumbar disc protrusion for an eight-week period, comparing routine physiotherapy alone to routine physiotherapy plus supervised stabilization exercises targeting the deep stabilizing muscles of the trunk. Both groups improved in pain, disability, and lumbar range of motion, but the stabilization group improved significantly more — and imaging confirmed better performance in the deep abdominal muscles and multifidus that help support the low back. Just as encouraging: across the eight-week trial of guided sessions, nobody in the study experienced a worsening of symptoms or a injury tied to the program, only some mild, short-lived muscle soreness early on. (2)
ASK US ABOUT YOUR EXERCISE PLAN
This research isn't permission to skip professional guidance, and the right program is shaped by your particular imaging, symptoms, and goals — so before beginning or adjusting any exercise program, talk with your chiropractor at Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic in Augusta, who can help you move confidently, not fearfully, toward relief.
Check out this podcast with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares the advantage of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for spinal stenosis.
