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Spinal Stenosis
Spine stenosis is a debilitating back condition. With spinal stenosis, the space within your spine narrows, causing pressure on the nerves that travel within the spine. Some patients with spinal stenosis may not have a symptoms, while others experience intensive pain. This condition usually affects the lower back, but may also develop in the neck and upper back.
If you suffer from spinal stenosis, you may be looking for effective treatments. Below are 6 great options that can help you deal with spinal stenosis and improve your sense of wellbeing.
Prescription medication is an effective way to deal with spinal stenosis pain. Depending on your symptoms, the doctor may suggest the following medications:
Almost all these medications aren’t readily available in the drugstore. You need to visit the doctor to get a prescription. The doctor can also help choose the right dosage so that medications can effectively treat your symptoms.
Steroid injections can help relieve inflammation in the spine and reduce pain. Inflamed soft tissues often increase pressure on the nerves in the spine so the pain increases. Corticosteroids reduce inflammatory processes and ease pressure on the nerves.
This method is often used to get temporary relief. Corticosteroids aren’t a permanent solution because they can weaken the surrounding tissues and bones. It isn’t recommended to make corticosteroid injections more often than 3-4 times a year. It isn’t possible to buy steroid injections without a prescription. You need to visit a spine doctor to get a prescription.
Massage is often used to treat different back alignments. It can help relieve spinal stenosis pain and pressure. But this treatment method isn’t equally effective for everyone. Massage can help relax core muscles and improve the blood flow to the affected area. This boosts the healing processes in the spine and relieves painful inflammation. Over time, massage can improve your range of motions and overall sense of wellbeing.
If your spinal stenosis pain doesn’t improve with massage, you may try other types of therapy. Some people experience significant improvement of symptoms after acupuncture or spinal adjustment. It is crucial to get these procedures done by an experienced therapist to prevent further damage and complications.
Physical therapy is recommended for all patients with spinal stenosis. It can help improve your range of movement and maintain the flexibility of your back. At the beginning of physical therapy, it can be hard for you to perform all exercises. Over time, physical therapy will improve your strength and balance so that exercises will cause less discomfort. Your spine doctor may suggest a particular kind of therapy depending on the symptoms and location of spinal stenosis.
In cases, if conservative treatments don’t help, your doctor may suggest spine surgery. The most common type of back surgery to treat spinal stenosis is a laminectomy. During this procedure, the spine surgeon removes the part of the affected vertebrae to relieve the pressure and pain in the spine. When the part of the vertebrae is removed, the surgeon fuses the spine with metal to strengthen it.
Other invasive options include laminotomy and laminoplasty. During a laminotomy, the surgeon removes only a portion of the vertebrae to relieve localized pressure. Laminoplasty involves the opening of the neck to introduce a metal bridge that will keep the section open. However, only about 5 percent of people need surgery to treat and manage the symptoms of spinal stenosis.
