Can we help when stenosis makes walking difficult?
If back or leg symptoms interrupt standing and walking, we can help you find more manageable ways to move and build capacity. We use your history and movement response to guide exercise, strength work and activity planning, so progress connects to the places you want to go.
No referral needed · Dedicated one-on-one PT
Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT — McKenzie certified.
In-person PT in Holladay, serving Greater Salt Lake City. Virtual coaching from anywhere.
Tell us what happens on a walk, what helps you settle symptoms and where you would like to go again. We use that information with your examination to choose a practical starting point.
Your scan and your walking goals belong in the same conversation
A stenosis finding helps inform your care, but your walking tolerance, symptom response and everyday goals help us choose the next step. Dr. Emily’s explanation offers context for that conversation.
Your scan is one part of the story
Dr. Emily uses a simple overflowing-cup analogy to explain how imaging findings, activity, sleep, stress and sensitivity can contribute to pain. We connect your scan with your symptoms and assessment so you have a clearer idea of what to work on.
Key points from the video
- Dr. Emily uses an overflowing-cup analogy to explain how several factors can contribute to pain.
- Imaging findings, activity, sleep, stress and sensitivity can all be part of the picture.
- The message is that you may have options for improving pain and activity without having to change every scan finding.
Understanding spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis means narrowing in spaces where the spinal cord or nerve roots travel. Narrowing can occur centrally or around the openings where nerves leave the spine.
With lumbar stenosis, some people develop aching, heaviness or other leg symptoms during standing and walking that ease with sitting or leaning forward. Other conditions can cause walking-related leg symptoms too; a symptom pattern is not a diagnosis by itself. NIAMS explains stenosis and its symptoms.
What to expect at your first stenosis appointment
Your first 60-minute visit is one-on-one with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT. We talk about your walking and standing pattern, hear which trips or activities you miss and examine relevant movement, strength, sensation and balance.
Bring a scan report if you have one. We connect it with your symptoms and medical history, including previous surgery or other health concerns, then practice a manageable starting plan. You should understand what to try at home, which changes to notice and how we will review progress.
Tell us promptly about new weakness or bladder/bowel changes. No referral is needed to arrange a routine appointment.
Build walking capacity around the places you want to go
We start with a real destination: getting around a store, walking with a friend or joining family on an outing. Tell us roughly when leg symptoms begin, what helps them settle and how long it takes to feel ready to move again. That gives us a useful baseline.
Choose a manageable starting point
- Walking intervals: a shorter section of a route with planned rests can make practice more manageable than repeatedly walking until symptoms become severe.
- Another way to build endurance: a stationary bicycle or another supported activity may suit your symptom response, balance and health.
- Strength and balance: practice tasks such as standing from a chair, managing a step or carrying what you need with appropriate support.
Does McKenzie treatment mean back extensions?
No. We use movement-response assessment to choose a suitable strategy. Some people with stenosis find sitting or supported forward leaning more comfortable; we do not force a direction because it appears in a generic back-exercise video.
A systematic review of non-operative stenosis care found moderate-quality evidence supporting a combination of manual therapy and exercise, with or without education, for people with neurogenic claudication. We connect these tools with your walking goals rather than rely on a single stretch.
Recognize progress and know when to review
Progress may be reaching the same destination with fewer stops, recovering more comfortably after a break or being able to spend longer on your feet. We track that alongside strength, sensation and balance and gradually change the demand around your response.
Improving useful activity does not depend on making the narrowing disappear on a scan. If walking capacity keeps declining or neurological findings change, we reassess and explain when medical or surgical input is needed. Our exercise guide for older adults offers related questions to bring to your visit.
When to discuss other treatment options
PT can be part of care, but it does not reverse every anatomical narrowing and does not guarantee avoidance of surgery. Persistent disability, neurological changes or difficulty meeting your goals may warrant discussion with your medical team.
A trial comparing surgery with a PT program included people who moved from PT to surgery during follow-up. That is a useful reminder to plan reassessment rather than treat the first decision as final. Ask your treating team which changes would support continuing rehabilitation and which would prompt another surgical discussion. Read the comparison trial.
Our surgery decision guide offers questions for a balanced discussion.
Can I have a virtual appointment?
Yes, virtual visits are available when suitable for your needs. They can help with education, observing functional movement and reviewing a home plan. If you need hands-on testing, have a significant balance risk or develop neurological changes, in-person or medical assessment may be necessary.
In-person treatment is available in Holladay, serving Greater Salt Lake City. Tell us your preferred format when requesting a case review.
When not to wait for PT
New bladder or bowel dysfunction, saddle-area numbness or rapidly worsening neurological symptoms need urgent medical assessment. Read the back-pain warning-sign guide; do not use an online appointment request for emergency care.
Frequently asked questions
Can PT help with stenosis without changing the size of the spinal canal?
PT can focus on symptoms and function even though exercise does not remove the narrowing. At Mindful Movement, the plan is built around practical goals such as more manageable walking and daily activity, with medical coordination when symptoms call for it.
What should I track if walking brings on leg symptoms?
Record how far you walk, what symptoms appear and what helps them settle. Tell Dr. Emily about numbness, weakness or balance changes. Those details can guide activity planning and help identify when further medical evaluation is needed.