What is spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the space in your spine. This narrowing may tighten the space around your spinal cord and nerve roots, which may irritate or compress the nerves, resulting in pain.
The narrowing in your spine most often occurs from osteoarthritis, wear-and-tear arthritis that occurs with age.
You may develop spinal stenosis in any area of your spine, but it most often occurs in the cervical and lumbar spine.
What are the symptoms of spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis symptoms may depend on the location of the narrowing.
Cervical spinal stenosis
With cervical spinal stenosis, you may have mild to intense neck pain. You may also experience poor hand coordination or problems with balance or walking.
Other pain symptoms may include upper extremity pain and weakness or numbness and tingling sensations that travel down your arm or upper back.
Lumbar spinal stenosis
If you have lumbar spinal stenosis, symptoms may include mild to severe lower back pain. Narrowing in the lumbar spine may also cause sciatica, which causes radiating pain in the leg.
You may notice that your symptoms worsen with lumbar spinal stenosis when walking or standing and improve when lying down.
Not everyone with spinal stenosis has symptoms. However, if you have symptoms, contact Pacific Sports and Spine for an evaluation.
What can I expect during a spinal stenosis consultation?
You can expect a patient-focused and comprehensive evaluation when you come in for a spinal stenosis consultation at Pacific Sports and Spine.
Your provider reviews your symptoms, medical and surgical history during your consultation and performs a physical exam. They may also run various tests to assess the strength and function of your extremities.
To assess the severity of your spinal stenosis, the team may request diagnostic imaging such as X-rays or an MRI.
How is spinal stenosis treated?
The team at Pacific Sports and Spine creates individualized treatment plans for spinal stenosis based on the location of the narrowing, the severity of your symptoms, and your overall health.
Initially, the team may recommend conservative treatments, such as:
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Physical therapy
- Steroid injections
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic manipulation
If your spinal stenosis is causing severe pain and disability, the team may recommend surgical intervention.
Pacific Sports and Spine specializes in minimally invasive spinal surgery. They may recommend the MILD® (minimally invasive lumbar decompression) procedure or placement of the Superion® device for spinal stenosis.
To schedule a consultation for your spinal stenosis at Pacific Sports and Spine, call the office or book an appointment online today.
