If you were recently diagnosed with spinal stenosis, you may feel a little overwhelmed about what it means and what steps to take next. About 20% of older adults in the United States have spinal stenosis, though only 80% of them have symptoms.
Treatment for spinal stenosis depends on whether you experience symptoms and their severity. Unfortunately, well-meaning advice from friends or the internet may leave you with more questions than answers.
Dr. Ojedapo Ojeyemi, our orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedic & Wellness in Waldorf, Germantown, and Frederick, Maryland, is here to separate the myths from facts about treatment options for spinal stenosis.
Spinal stenosis is narrowing of the spinal canal, limiting space for the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The narrowing has many causes, but it most often occurs from age-related changes like disc degeneration and osteoarthritis. However, some people are born with a narrower spine, making them more prone to spinal stenosis.
While spinal stenosis can cause back pain, numbness, and tingling, not everyone with the condition has symptoms and it doesn’t always get worse. Early diagnosis and personalized treatment can manage symptoms and address the underlying cause.
The lower back (lumbar spine) is the most commonly affected area, but spinal stenosis can occur anywhere along the spine, including the neck (cervical spine).
With cervical spinal stenosis, you may experience neck pain, numbness, and tingling that radiates into the arms and hands.
Though rare, spinal stenosis may also affect the midback or thoracic spine.
Exercise is a key medical intervention for spinal stenosis, focusing on strengthening the abdominal muscles to improve back support. While movement can ease many pain conditions, you should avoid pushing through exercises that increase your pain from spinal stenosis.
If your current exercise program for your spinal stenosis is making your pain worse, it’s time to consider other treatments such as interventional pain management. This includes injections such as epidural injections or nerve blocks.
Most people with spinal stenosis don’t need surgery. Nonsurgical interventions like pain management, physical therapy, and spinal injections can provide significant relief.
Surgery for spinal stenosis is typically reserved for cases where conservative treatments fail to improve symptoms, and may involve removing portions of the spine to create more room for the spinal cord and nerves or fusing the bones to limit movement. When possible, we use minimally invasive spine surgery techniques to reduce pain and shorten recovery time.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and what works for one person may not work for you. At Orthopedic & Wellness, Dr. Ojeyemi tailors treatment based on your symptoms and the severity of the narrowing.
Before falling down the internet rabbit hole searching for solutions, call our office today or book an appointment online to schedule a consultation. We can give you the facts and create a plan that best fits your needs.
