What Is Shopping Cart Spine And How Is It Treated?

The shopping cart is an essential tool for helping people buy groceries in an efficient manner, but it can also tell us something about the health of our spine. If you’ve ever noticed an older person hunched over or seemingly using the cart for support, they may be dealing with a condition known as shopping cart spine. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at shopping cart spine and how Dr. Jackman can help you treat the condition.

Shopping Cart Spine

Shopping cart spine gets its name from the fact that many people with the condition find that their spinal discomfort resolves when they are hunched or leaning forward. If you have a shopping cart to brace yourself, it’s pretty easy to stay in this hunched position and find some temporary relief from your back pain. The next time you’re in the grocery store, don’t be surprised if you happen to notice one or two older individuals hunched forward on their shopping cart for support, because odds are this position is helping them find relief from back pain.

But what exactly is shopping cart spine? While the hunched position over a shopping cart may give it away, the condition actually has a much more well-known name – spinal stenosis. In patients who find relief by leaning on a shopping cart, their spinal stenosis is typically located in the lower or lumbar portion of the spine.

Spinal stenosis is a condition categorized by the narrowing of space around key spinal nerves. If these nerves cannot pass freely along your spinal canal, they can become compressed or damaged, leading to a host of uncomfortable symptoms, including pain, numbness, a tingling sensation in your extremities and muscle weakness.

The reason the shopping cart comes into play is because many people with lumbar spinal stenosis find that their symptoms are worse when they are standing up straight and forcing their spine into a healthy alignment. Leaning forward ends up creating more space in the lumbar spinal canal, so they find ways to hunch or lean forward to provide some short-term spinal decompression. It’s not very easy to lean forward and remain balanced, unless of course you have a shopping cart to brace yourself.

Treating Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

If you find that you’re constantly trying to find a comfortable position due to dull low back pain, or you notice that you’re hunching over your shopping cart at the grocery store, consider reaching out to your primary care physician or a specialist like Dr. Jackman. They’ll start by asking about your symptoms, reviewing your medical history and assessing your spine with a physical exam. They may also order imaging tests like an X-ray, MRI or CT scan to get a better understanding of what’s going on with the bones and nerves in your lower spine.

If you’re diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis, your doctor will oftentimes start by walking you through some conservative care techniques. Many people find that a combination of activity avoidance, low-impact exercise, stretching techniques, anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy can help to reduce or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms when pursued for a number of weeks.

If you’re still experiencing symptoms despite giving it your best effort for at least six weeks, your doctor may broach the topic of surgery. Surgery will depend on the root cause of your discomfort and may involve widening your spinal foramen (the opening through which nerves pass in the spinal canal) or removing part of a herniated disc that is compressing the nerve. Whatever the operation, the goal will be two-fold: decompress the affected area and ensure the strength and stability of the spinal column. Once complete, you will be directed to rest for a short period before being given a rehabilitation plan, which oftentimes involves many of the conservative techniques previously listed.

For more information about lumbar spinal stenosis, or for help treating a different spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.