Keeping the Spine Healthy and Reducing the Risk of Spinal Stenosis

Home care assistance helps seniors protect spine health and stay independent

Spinal stenosis is a condition that occurs in the spine when the area of the spinal cord becomes compressed or pinched due to a reduced amount of space for it to reside in. As seniors age, maintaining mobility and comfort becomes more challenging, which is why home care assistance can play an important role in supporting daily movement and reducing strain on the body. It can be due to injury or to changes in the bone structure of the spine caused by aging and degeneration of the vertebrae.

For many older adults, spinal health is closely tied to their ability to remain independent at home. With the help of home care assistance, seniors can reduce the physical demands of daily tasks that may contribute to back strain or discomfort. By combining preventative care with supportive services, it becomes easier to protect the spine and maintain a higher quality of life over time.

Acquired Causes of Spinal Stenosis

For the elderly, spinal stenosis is a fairly common condition that can be aggravated by other health conditions or brought on by a bad fall when the bones are already weakened by osteoporosis. With proper home care assistance, seniors can reduce fall risks and avoid activities that may put unnecessary stress on the spine.

Common acquired causes of spinal stenosis for the elderly can include:

• A herniated or bulging disk. As a person ages, disks dry out, flatten, and crack. Those outside cracks can allow the gel-like center to ooze out, causing the bulging disk to press on a nearby nerve and cause pain or numbness.
• Thickened ligaments. Arthritis can lead the ligaments of the spine to thicken and then press against the spinal canal.
• Broken bones through falling or a hard impact. Bones become weaker as a person ages, making it easier for a vertebra of the back to become broken or cracked upon impact. Even a minor injury can lead to inflammation, which may cause compression within the spinal canal.
• Bone spurs. Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in the joints, including the spine. Bones may begin to wear against each other and develop bone spurs, which can pinch the nerves of the spine.

Five Steps to Prevent Spinal Stenosis or Reduce its Progression

1. Keep bones strong by eating foods rich in bone-building nutrients like calcium and vitamin D.
2. Don’t smoke
3. Maintain a healthy weight.
4. Keep the muscles of the back strong through regular exercise to support the spine.
5. Practice good posture both when sitting and standing.

Living with Spinal Stenosis

If your senior loved one has developed spinal stenosis, surgery is usually a last resort, so making some lifestyle changes, as well as following her doctor’s orders for how to care for the pain with medications, physical therapy, and hot or cold packs, is an important part of helping your loved one stay independent in her own home.

Your elderly loved one might find certain movements or activities more difficult as the condition progresses, and using a home care assistance team to help her with household responsibilities can be a great way to provide the support she needs. Home care assistance providers can step in and assist in many areas around the home including cleaning the floors (preventing your loved one from having to bend and stoop too much), laundry (relieving your loved one from carrying a laundry basket up and down stairs when her back is hurting) and even assisting in the kitchen if your loved one is struggling with numbness or clumsiness in her hands due to a pinched nerve.

By helping with everyday home upkeep, a home care assistance provider can help your loved one find relief from overexerting herself to keep her home safe and clean for herself and her guests.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance in South Fork, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at (631) 685-5001