Spinal stenosis as the name suggests affects the spine leading to common conditions like back pain. Allow our experts to guide you through the basics of spinal stenosis along with its popular signs and symptoms to look out for. We will also shed light on the popular treatment for spinal stenosis in elderly, physical therapy for spinal stenosis, and more.
Introduction to Spinal Stenosis
Let’s assume your spinal cord and nerves pass through a tunnel-like structure called the spine. When this tunnel gets narrow and exerts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, the condition that causes pain is called spinal stenosis. The narrower the spine gets, the higher the pain gets.
Signs and Symptoms
- Back Pain: Lower back pain is a common symptom of spinal stenosis.
- Leg Pain and Weakness: Spinal stenosis causes mild to severe pain and weakness in the legs.
- Bladder Functions: A rare symptom of spinal stenosis is poor bowel movement.
Treatment Options
- Conservative Care: Common nonsurgical treatments for spinal stenosis include:
- Physical Therapy for Spinal Stenosis: Learn exercises to improve strength and flexibility from an experienced physical therapist for spinal stenosis.
- Improve Your Lifestyle: Avoid doing things that increase the chances of worsening your spinal stenosis. Also, try to maintain a healthy weight all the time.
- Use a Walker: Using a cane or walker while walking can relieve pain and help stabilize the spine.
- Instant Relief Medication: Some medications target the pain directly and reduce discomfort:
- Pain Relievers: Painkillers including ibuprofen and acetaminophen reduce pain and inflammation of nerve roots and create more space in the spinal canal.
- Prescription: Get a prescription for stronger medication to directly target nerve pain.
- Corticosteroid Injections: These injections are anti-inflammatory medicines that treat pain caused by spinal stenosis effectively.
- Pain Medicine Interventions: Among the top treatment options for spinal stenosis that directly address the pain are:
- Epidural Steroid Injections: These injections are administered straight into the spinal canal, effectively reducing pain and inflammation.
- Ultrasound-Guided Procedures: Ultrasound allows doctors to see inside the body and treat the pain directly.
- Fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is a medical procedure in which real-time video of the inside of the body is made using tools that help while injecting pain medicine.
- Surgical Procedures: Surgery as a treatment for spinal stenosis in elderly includes:
- Laminectomy: In Laminectomy, some portion of the vertebrae is removed which relieves pressure on the nerves in the spinal cord.
- Spinal Fusion: Surgeons perform spinal fusion or spondylodesis to join two or more vertebrae to stabilize the spine.
Anatomical Structures
Understand your spinal cord’s anatomy to comprehend your pain better.
- Spine: Vertebrae are bones that make up your spine and are stacked over each other which forms your backbone.
- Spinal Cord: A spinal cord is a long tunnel-like structure made of nerves carrying signals from the brain to other parts of the body.
- Nerves: Nerves are wires that run through the whole body, including the spine, and cause discomfort when they are compressed.
Understanding your unique pain is important to choosing the best treatment for spinal stenosis. This is why seeking assistance from expert healthcare professionals is utterly crucial. Medical experts will analyze pain and recommend treatment plans like physical therapy for spinal stenosis or more.
