New Research from Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc: Exercise Helps Spinal Stenosis Patients, Regardless of Severity
Hearing a diagnosis of spinal stenosis or a disc protrusion often makes exercise feel intimidating — won't moving the wrong way make things worse? A pair of studies published in 2026 offer genuine peace of mind, and they're definitely worth sharing with your treating chiropractor at Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc as you plan your recovery.
YES, YOU CAN EXERCISE WITH SEVERE STENOSIS
A large retrospective study of 1,806 patients published in Physical Therapy looked at people with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis who completed an exercise-based rehabilitation program, and the results push back on a long-held assumption. (1) The study found that study participants improved significantly in pain, disability, strength, medication use, and function — and researchers found no meaningful difference in how well participants responded to exercise based on how severe their stenosis looked on imaging, with over 11% of participants able to stop using narcotic pain medication altogether. In other words: a "severe" scan does not mean exercise won't help you.
DISC PROTRUSION: STABILIZATION EXERCISE ADDS MEASURABLE BENEFIT
A controlled clinical trial published in Health Science Reports followed sixty patients with a single-sided lumbar disc protrusion for 8 weeks, comparing routine physiotherapy alone to routine physiotherapy combined with supervised stabilization training targeting the deep core muscles. Pain, disability, and lumbar range of motion improved in both groups, though the stabilization group saw significantly greater gains — and ultrasound scans revealed greater activation of the deep abdominal muscles and multifidus that help keep the low back supported. Just as reassuring: across eight weeks of supervised training, not a single participant had a symptom flare-up or a treatment-related injury, only some mild, short-lived muscle soreness early on. (2)
TALK TO US AT YOUR NEXT VISIT
This research isn't permission to skip professional guidance, and the right program is tailored to your own imaging, symptoms, and goals — so before beginning or adjusting any exercise program, talk with your treating chiropractor at Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc in Fort Wayne, 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 describes the benefit of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for spinal stenosis.
