If you are diagnosed with spinal stenosis, it is extremely important that you play an active role in the treatment of your condition by finding out as much as possible about your particular case of stenosis and what your treatment options are. While a doctor can prescribe treatments and give advice, it is up to you to stay faithful to the treatments and gauge their effectiveness. When a patient doesn’t fully understand his or her condition or why certain treatments are being prescribed, there is a risk that he or she will not utilize treatments properly, which could result in complications, dangerous drug interactions, injury, or, at the very least, no improvement in the spinal stenosis symptoms.

Doing Research About Stenosis

After receiving a spinal stenosis diagnosis, ask your doctor to provide you with as much verbal and written information as possible regarding your condition and the treatment options available to you. You may also ask if there are other resources you can explore to gain a better understanding of stenosis, its causes, and treatment options. Below is a basic breakdown of spinal stenosis that you can use to start a dialogue with your doctor when it comes time to formulate a treatment plan:

– Spinal stenosis refers to a narrowing of the spinal canal. Stenosis can occur at any level of the spine, though it is most common in the lumbar spine (lower back) and cervical spine (neck).

– Stenosis can have multiple underlying causes, the most common being degeneration related to the aging process.

– Degenerative conditions that can occur and cause a narrowing of the spinal canal include herniated discs, bulging discs, bone spurs, and spondylolisthesis.

– Stenosis may remain asymptomatic. If symptoms do occur, it is often because the narrowed spinal canal is exerting pressure on a spinal nerve root.

– Neural compression can cause a variety of symptoms to radiate throughout the spine and/or extremities, including shooting pain, tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

When your doctor first delivers a spinal stenosis diagnosis, you may be a bit overwhelmed. On the one hand, you may feel relieved to finally know what has been causing you discomfort in your neck or back, but on the other hand it can be scary to know that you have a degenerative spine condition that could possibly get worse over time. If you feel that you are not ready to have a discussion with your doctor regarding your condition at this time, it may be best to schedule a follow-up appointment so that you have time to gather information about stenosis and formulate some questions. When you do sit down to talk to your doctor about your condition and your treatment options, consider bringing a friend or family member with you for support.

Below are some questions you may want to ask your doctor so that you can educate yourself about your spinal stenosis:

– What is the underlying cause of my stenosis?

– How severe is my condition?

– Are nonsurgical treatments likely to alleviate my pain?

– Is there a possibility that I may require surgery in the future?

– Can I see my X-ray, MRI, or CT scan?

– What treatments can I try?

– Are there any activities I should avoid?

Keeping a Treatment Journal

As you embark on a treatment plan, be sure to pay attention to your body and how it reacts to different therapies or medications. Try to remain active and perform any stretches or exercises that have been prescribed to you by your doctor, but be careful not to overexert yourself. Keeping a treatment journal is a good way to log all of your treatments and how effective they are. This can serve as a reference and a progress report for both you and your doctor as you tweak your treatment plan over time.

John Soland is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education.

John Soland is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education. http://www.spineseminar.com/

Author Bio: John Soland is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education.

Category: Education
Keywords: patient education,spinal stenosis