Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal caused by changes in the surrounding tissue. It can be painful but is usually not life-threatening. Neck pain, back pain or sciatica may be symptoms of cervical, thoracic or lumbar spinal stenosis. According to the Maryland Spine Center, lumbar problems are the most common.
If pain is the main effect of your lumbar spinal abnormality, nonsurgical treatment will probably be recommended by your doctor. If the stenosis is very advanced or exacerbates another medical condition, lumbar surgery may be necessary.
Chiropractic Treatment
Maintaining proper lumbar alignment may solve your back pain issues altogether, making spinal stenosis a less significant force in your life. As disk tissue degrades with age, bone may rub on bone. Periodic chiropractic adjustments can restore more space for the disks to perform their cushioning job, eliminating the pain.
If bone spurs have already formed or ligaments have stretched or twisted, you may find relief with acupuncture or pharmaceutical pain medication in addition to chiropractic treatments.
Drug Therapy
For occasional mild flareups, over-the-counter medication is safe and effective. Ask your doctor which nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin, are right for you. Depending on your pain symptoms, prescription-grade NSAIDs may be a better choice.
Corticosteroids are prescribed for worsening or severe bouts of back pain. Both steroid and NSAID therapies carry risks of side effects over the long term.
Physical Therapy
Uncontrolled back pain restricts physical activity, so your affected spinal area may become very weak. This can induce further vertebral collapse, perpetuating the cycle of pain.
Once pain and inflammation have been addressed, your doctor can recommend general stretching and specific lumbar exercise. Restoring your muscle tone and range of motion may greatly reduce your spinal stenosis symptoms. Continuing a regimen of stretching and exercise after any prescribed physical therapy sessions will promote future spine health.
Laminectomy Surgery
Laminectomy, or disk decompression, excises the bone spurs or other tissue that is invading the spinal canal and pushing the vertebral disks out of alignment. This type of "open-back" lumbar surgery is usually not suggested until the abnormal tissue growth seriously threatens spinal nerve function.
Laminectomy opens the spinal canal at the top of the vertebrae and removes the bone that is impinging the nerves and causing pain.
Spinal Fusion
Spinal fusion stabilizes the vertebrae on either side of a failing disk by fusing them together. This allows space for the spinal canal and discourages further disk movement into that space.
Spinal fusion is performed using a bone "splice" from another part of the body, such as the hip or pelvis. The procedure is often used in conjunction with laminectomy lumbar surgery.
