Researchers wanted to see if a new rehabilitation program was practical and acceptable for people scheduled for spinal stenosis surgery. The program, called STRIDE, lasted 24 weeks and focused on education, exercise, and building confidence. They tested it with 15 adults aged 50 and older who were waiting for their operation.
The study found that most participants (80%) stayed in the program and rated it very highly. On average, people walked farther in a 6-minute test and took more daily steps both before and after their surgery. The researchers noted that travel to the program was difficult for some people.
This was a small, early-stage study designed only to see if a larger trial would be possible. Because there was no comparison group that did not receive the program, we cannot know if the improvements were caused by STRIDE or by other factors like the surgery itself. The results are encouraging for planning future research but do not yet prove the program is effective.