When an individual receives a spinal stenosis diagnosis, surgery is rarely necessary. Thankfully, there are more conservative treatment options immediately available to help relieve painful symptoms. Pain medicines and epidural steroid injections can provide fast relief for back and neck pain, but that relief will only last for a short period of time – from a few hours (oral medication) to a few months (injections). A frustrating part of treatment is that in order to gain the long-term relief most people seek, they must commit to regular therapies and be prepared for a long road to recovery that could even include a surgical procedure. However, by staying consistent and persistent with treatment, an individual suffering from spinal stenosis can drastically reduce their painful symptoms and may even improve their overall health and wellness.

Lifestyle Changes

The most immediate changes one can make to relieve their symptoms begin with changing their lifestyle, daily routines, and personal choices. Most spinal conditions are the result of specific risk factors that individuals bring upon themselves every day. For instance, carrying extra weight can put increased pressure on the spine, causing vertebrae to shift and discs to tear. By exercising and losing weight, the muscles in the core can gain strength and the weight load on the spine is reduced, which helps relieve damaging pressure on the spinal anatomy. Though exercise can be painful for those suffering from spinal stenosis, low-impact exercises like swimming and walking may not irritate the spine and can help with the weight loss process. Improving daily posture may help as well. For those who work at a desk all day there are lumbar supports for office chairs that can help take the pressure off their lower back throughout the day. Also, reducing the amount of alcohol or nicotine an individual ingests can slow down the rate at which their discs degenerate and will help improve their overall health.

Conservative Treatment Options

In addition to the lifestyle changes an individual with spinal stenosis can make, there are a number of nonsurgical treatment options available that will temporarily relieve pain and may even decrease symptoms in the long-term as well. Doctors may suggest that patients start daily treatments, like:

– Beginning an over-the-counter medication routine using acetaminophen or ibuprofen

– Restricting activity or requiring rest

– Using hot and cold packs on a daily basis

– Wearing a back or neck brace

– Receiving epidural steroid injections

– Receiving deep tissue massages

– Taking prescription medicines like muscle relaxers or pain killers

Physical therapy is another common treatment option where patients learn daily stretches to help relieve the pressure they put on their spine. There are also alternative treatment options like chiropractic care or acupuncture, which many patients have sought to relieve their spinal stenosis symptoms.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures

Though lifestyle changes and conservative treatment options can improve symptoms, sometimes they just aren’t enough to eliminate the chronic pain the stems from spinal stenosis. If this is the case, a patient may consider an endoscopic procedure to relieve pain caused by spinal stenosis. These minimally invasive procedures provide the benefit of a short recovery period, and they have high success rates, which means they may dramatically improve the symptoms a patient faces on a day to day basis. Some common surgical procedures that can be performed through an endoscope and can help relieve spinal stenosis symptoms include:

– Laminotomy – A laminotomy is the partial removal of a lamina, which is the part of a vertebra that surrounds the spinal cord. This procedure opens up space in the spinal canal, and it also creates a window into the spinal canal through which surgeons can remove scar tissue, bone spurs, or disc material that may be constricting nerves in the spinal canal.

– Foraminotomy – A foraminotomy can be performed either independently or through a laminotomy. In a foraminotomy, bone and tissue are removed from a foramina to open the space through which nerve roots leave the spinal canal, giving the nerve more room and relieving the pressure that may be causing chronic pain.

– Endoscopic discectomy – In a discectomy, the surgeon enters the spinal canal through a laminotomy to remove parts of a herniated or bulging disc that may be constricting the spinal canal.

These minimally invasive surgeries are outpatient procedures that reduce the amount of recovery time required of a patient as compared to traditional open-back surgery. Only a physician can tell whether your spinal stenosis condition can be treated by surgical procedures, and usually a surgical procedure is seen as a last resort treatment option.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal stenosis and several other spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal stenosis and other spinal conditions. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/spinal_stenosis/

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal stenosis and several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Spinal Stenosis