• Chow NW
• Southerst D
• Wong JJ
• Kopansky-Giles D
• Ammendolia C

• Affiliation / Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC). Division of Graduate Education and Research
• Affiliation / Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR), Ontario Tech University and Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)
• Affiliation / McMaster University. Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact
• Affiliation / McMaster University. Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care
• Affiliation / Mount Sinai Hospital. Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases
• Affiliation / New York University Langone Health. Langone Orthopaedic Hospital. Occupational and Industrial Orthopaedic Centre
• Affiliation / St. Michael's Hospital. Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Affiliation / University of Toronto. Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Affiliation / University of Toronto. Department of Surgery
• Affiliation / University of Toronto. Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Ontario / Hamilton
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Ontario / Toronto
• Affiliation(G) / United States / New York / New York
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Follow-Up Studies
• Intermittent Claudication / therapy
• Lumbar Vertebrae / physiopathology
• Spinal Stenosis / complications
• Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess long-term outcomes of a 6-week multimodal program (manual therapy, exercises, and self-management strategies) in patients with neurogenic claudication due to degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.

METHODS: This study evaluated 49 patients with neurogenic claudication who completed a 6-week multimodal program between 2010 and 2013. Outcomes included Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ), and Numeric Rating Scale. Mean differences, paired t tests, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare outcomes at baseline, 6 weeks, and long-term follow-up.

RESULTS: Twenty-three patients completed the follow-up questionnaire (47% response rate). Median follow-up was 3.6 years (interquartile range: 3.3-4.6). The mean age was 73.5 years (standard deviation: 8.5). Between baseline and long-term follow-up, there were statistically significant and clinically important improvements in disability (ODI: -23.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): -15.7 to -31.6]; ODI walking item: -1.96 [95% CI: -1.34 to -2.57]; ZCQ function scale: -0.42 [95% CI: -0.10 to -0.70]) and pain (leg pain: -3.53 [95% CI: -1.80 to -5.20]; ZCQ symptom scale: -0.71 [95% CI: -0.30 to -1.10]), but not low back pain (Numeric Rating Scale: -1.03 [95% CI: -1.00 to 3.10]). There was no statistically significant change in any outcomes between 6 weeks and long-term follow-up.

CONCLUSION: In a sample of patients with neurogenic claudication participating in a 6-week multimodal program, clinically important improvements in leg pain and disability, but not low back pain while walking, were maintained in the long term (median duration of 3.6 years) when compared to baseline.

Author keywords: Spinal Stenosis, Lumbar Vertebrae, Osteoarthritis, Spine, Rehabilitation, Chiropractic, Intermittent Claudication, Musculoskeletal Manipulations

Author affiliations: NWC: Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Graduate Education and Research Programs, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; DS: Occupational and Industrial Orthopaedic Centre, Langone Orthopaedic Hospital, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY; JJW: Graduate Education and Research Programs, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; University of Ontario Institute of Technology-CMCC Centre for the Study of Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; DKG: Graduate Education and Research Programs, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; CA: Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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