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New Research from Moriarty Chiropractic: 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 new research papers published in 2026 offer real reassurance, and they're worth sharing with your chiropractor at Moriarty Chiropractic as you map out your care plan.
SEVERE STENOSIS ON YOUR SCAN? EXERCISE STILL WORKS
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) The study found that patients improved significantly in pain, function, strength, disability, and medication use — and researchers found no meaningful difference in how well participants responded to exercise based on how advanced their stenosis appeared on scans, with more than one in ten patients able to discontinue narcotic pain medication entirely. In other words: a "severe" scan does not mean exercise won't help you.
FOR DISC PROTRUSION, TARGETED STABILIZATION WORK PAYS OFF
A randomized clinical trial published in the journal Health Science Reports followed 60 patients with a single-sided lumbar disc protrusion for 8 weeks, comparing standard physiotherapy on its own to standard physiotherapy paired with supervised stabilization exercises targeting the deep trunk muscles. While both groups got better across pain, disability, and range of motion, the stabilization group's improvement was significantly larger — and imaging confirmed better engagement of the deep abdominal muscles and multifidus that help stabilize the lower spine. Just as encouraging: across eight weeks of guided sessions, no participant experienced a worsening of symptoms or a exercise-related injury, only mild soreness in the first weeks that resolved on its own. (2)
LET’S TALK AT YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT
This research isn't permission to skip professional guidance, and the correct exercise plan is specific to your imaging, your symptoms, and your goals — so before beginning or adjusting any exercise program, talk with your chiropractor at Moriarty Chiropractic in Nashua, who can help you move toward relief with confidence instead of fear.
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.
