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Spinal Stenosis Treatment and Pain Relief.Where do you start with your Spinal Stenosis Treatment? Exercises? Medication? Surgery??I believe that once your spinal stenosis symptoms have been correctly diagnosed - the first step that you need to take is to see a physiotherapist or physical therapist who specialises in this area. I strongly recommend this path as the therapists' knowledge of this complex condition is typically extensive. Your physiotherapist will then further assess your condition and review the severity and extent of your spinal stenosis. Once they are happy that all aspects have been assessed and fully diagnosed - they will typically work with you on back-strengthening exercises. They will also teach you back stretching exercises to loosen the tight muscles, nerves and ligaments in your back. They will also mobilise the joints that have become stiff both due to the condition and due to the poor postural habits (see what I mean by good posture) that you may have adopted as a result of your pain. All of these methods will help reduce the nerve compression associated with spinal stenosois and your pain will be reduced. Reduction of nerve compression is the key to all treatments related to spinal stenosis. If you carry extra weight, your physio will advise you on methods for losing that weight. Excess weight with spinal stenosis is a major aggravating factor to your condition and to your pain. I appreciate that you find it difficult to exercise due to the pain but there are many exercises that you can do with spinal stenosis that will not aggravate your pain, but will reduce your weight when combined with a well balanced diet. Anti-inflammatory medication is often required to help reduce the inflammation on your compressed nerves, as well as reducing your pain. I use anti-inflammatory drugs in conjunction with exercises with my clients - this helps them to perform exercises diligently and without pain. Your doctor will help with this aspect of treatment. Steroid medication may be required during an acute flare up of your spinal stenosis. Steroids reduce inflammation around your nerves quite quickly. However, they are aggressive drugs which need to be used with care. I avoid steroids if at all possible due to side effects associated with overuse. Epidural steroid injection is also used where the steroid is administered directly into the spinal segment affected by spinal stenosis. Although required in certain situations I try to avoid epidural for back pain where possible. Spinal stenosis surgery is used where all other treatments fail. Be sure to exhaust all possibilities before you engage spinal surgery. It involves removing the material that is compressing the nerve at the spinal segment affected by your spinal stenosis. This material can be bony or disc tissue. Spinal fusion can be done in severe cases, however there can be complications with this surgery involving infection and instabilities so it should be discussed at length before it is performed. The aim of this surgery is to stabilise the unstable segment to reduce the compression effect on the affected nerves. In summary, conservative treatment is in my opinion the treatment of choice for spinal stenosis unless you have it in a very severe form. Return from Spinal Stenosis Treatment to Spinal Stenosis Relief Return from Spinal Stenosis Treatment to Back Pain Relief Home |
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