Discover Your Options for Spinal Stenosis Relief

It has been estimated that up to 500,000 Americans are living with spinal stenosis. With symptoms that have the potential to affect your everyday activities and decrease your quality of life, this condition can be debilitating.

Fortunately, relief is possible. Through the guidance of an NSPC-affiliated pain specialist, it is possible to decrease your pain, manage your symptoms, and get back to living life pain-free.

Treating Spinal Stenosis

While a spinal stenosis diagnosis will stay with you for life, many patients with spinal stenosis live life in the absence of pain or with minimal symptoms, thanks to a variety of treatment options.

Therapies and Lifestyle Changes

As is often the case, your physician will begin with the most conservative therapies at first. These may include:

• Heat/Ice therapy: Cold can reduce inflammation that may be contributing to the narrowing of your spinal column. Heat can reduce muscle tension and tightness.
• Exercise: Whether under the direction of a physical therapist or simply trying to increase the number of steps you take each day, exercise can strengthen the muscles around your spine and improve your flexibility. Low-impact exercise, such as swimming, can help you lose weight, which will put less pressure on your spine.
• Lifestyle changes: Don’t underestimate the power of a firm mattress, good posture, and proper lifting techniques.
• Alternative therapies: Some patients may get some pain relief by working with a chiropractor or by trying acupuncture or biofeedback.

Medication

Over-the-counter medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) may provide short-term relief. In some cases, your physician may also prescribe stronger medications such as muscle relaxants.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

If the above measures fail to resolve your pain, there are a number of minimally invasive interventions you can try. Each of these procedures is performed on an outpatient basis. There are no major incisions, and recovery times are a fraction of those associated with traditional open spinal surgery.

• Epidural Nerve Block: Using x-ray guidance, your doctor can administer an epidural nerve block of corticosteroid medication to decrease pain and inflammation caused by spinal stenosis. Medically, up to three injections may be given within a six-month time frame. Usually, the injections are performed two to three weeks apart.
• MILD (Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression): MILD requires a small incision under local anesthesia and takes less than an hour. Using fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance, your physician will locate and remove small pieces of bone and excess ligament tissue. This restores space in the spinal canal and decreases the compression of nerves that cause pain.
• Spinal Cord Stimulation: An implanted device transmits mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord to interrupt the feeling of pain. It substitutes it with a more pleasing sensation called paresthesia. This feeling can differ from patient to patient but is often described as a pleasant tingling.
• Radiofrequency Neurotomy: Also known as radiofrequency ablation, this procedure interrupts pain signals by using heat to deaden the nerves. The physician uses x-ray guidance to place needles with electrical tips alongside the nerves that supply the inflamed area. After testing to ensure that the needle is in the correct position, thermal (heat) energy is applied to deaden the nerve. Successful neurotomy typically provides relief for six to 12 months.

Surgery

For those patients who do not obtain relief after exhausting all other options, a laminectomy may be the last resort. This surgery involves creating space in the spinal cord by removing bone spurs and tissue in order to relieve pressure and alleviate symptoms.

This is a major surgery that presents different risks and a much longer recovery time than minimally invasive options. However, for some patients, it is the only way to find relief and decrease the impact of their spinal stenosis symptoms.

Find Spinal Stenosis Relief

At National Spine & Pain Centers, our network of pain specialists is committed to finding the best treatment plan for your diagnosis. If you have been living with pain due to spinal stenosis, contact us today to explore your options and begin finding relief today.

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