Chronic back pain can be caused by a variety of structural issues, with spinal stenosis being a common reason why patients experience back issues. If you have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, are you looking for solutions to help you manage the pain in 2022 and beyond?
It is challenging to live with chronic pain. Not only does the pain disrupt daily activities, but it often feels like the pain overshadows every other area of your life. However, if you want to enjoy a full and thriving life, you first need to focus on pain management so you can move forward with other goals and resolutions.
What Is Spinal Stenosis
The first step to managing your pain is to educate yourself about the condition and why you are experiencing these issues. Your medical team might use different types of imaging and testing to determine an accurate diagnosis:
- MRI
- X-Ray
- CT Scan
When spinal stenosis is present, it means there is a narrowing in the space in your spinal cord. When there is less space available, then the spinal cord becomes compressed. As a result, it puts pressure on the nerves and delicate tissue in the spine. The nerves in the spinal cord can become inflamed, irritated, pinched, or compressed, which leads to pain.
Spinal Stenosis Symptoms
In most cases, spinal stenosis develops over time. It is a slow process and can be related to “wear-and-tear” as well as osteoarthritis. Often, age-related changes are a risk factor that increases the likelihood of spinal stenosis.
So, in the earliest stages of spinal stenosis, you may not have any symptoms. The changes might be visible on x-rays, but you could be living pain-free for a while. Then, depending on the location and severity, the pain can develop and result in an acute experience or chronic issues.
Symptoms of spinal stenosis might include:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Balance issues
- Weakness in the extremities
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Worsening pain when standing for a long time
Spinal Stenosis Treatment Options
Talk to a pain management doctor to learn more about treatment solutions for spinal stenosis. These are a few of the options that might be discussed when choosing the optimal treatment plan for your back pain:
- Medications: Using either over-the-counter or prescription medication is a short-term solution to help you find immediate relief. Common medication use might include pain relievers (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen). Antidepressants are sometimes helpful for managing chronic pain. Or, the doctor might recommend prescription-strength pain relievers (opioids such as oxycodone or hydrocodone) or muscle relaxants. Prescription medications can be habit-forming, which is why we avoid using them for long-term treatment.
- Hot and Cold Therapy: You can alleviate immediate discomfort using hot and cold therapy. For example, heat increases blood flow which promotes muscle relaxation. Cold can help by reducing inflammation and swelling. However, be careful to avoid extreme temperatures that could cause damage to your skin if it’s too hot or too cold.
- Steroid Injections: Instead of taking medication by mouth, another option is to inject medication into the part of your spine affected by stenosis. The area is often inflamed and irritated, causing swelling where the nerves are pinched. Injections are helpful to reduce inflammation. However, ongoing use of injections can affect the connective tissue and bones, so you can only use injections a few times each year.
- Physical Therapy: Strengthening the core and other muscles in the body is an important step to provide more stability for the spine. It’s a chicken-or-the-egg result: chronic pain causes a reduction in activity levels, while decreased exercise also contributes to higher pain levels. Physical therapy can help to improve endurance, strength, and flexibility. Boosting strength is an essential step to optimize overall balance and wellness.
- Surgery: Most doctors consider surgery as a last resort treatment, only recommending surgery when all other treatment options have been exhausted. Sometimes, surgery can be an effective way to alleviate the pain, but it also comes at a risk since the strength of the spine can be compromised. Spine surgeons are highly skilled and can provide different types of surgical options to treat the specific cause of your back pain.
- Alternative Treatments: Some people experience results by pairing modern medical treatments with alternative medicine. For example, you might benefit from acupuncture, massage therapy, or chiropractic adjustments. Future treatments are in research phases, with the possibility of using stem cells to treat degenerative spinal conditions.
Is Spinal Stenosis Surgery Necessary?
Surgery is an option to consider if your symptoms are severe enough to disrupt your daily life activities. However, pain management doctors want to try all other minimally-invasive treatments before recommending surgery because of the spine’s delicate nature.
The good news is that most patients with spinal stenosis don’t require surgery. Here are a few indications that surgery might be necessary:
- Pain symptoms are so severe that you can’t function in regular activities at home or work
- Pressure on the spinal cord is the root cause of pain and nerve inflammation
- It’s difficult to walk because of pain, weakness, or numbness
- You have lost bladder or bowel control because of how the nerves are being affected
Our pain management doctors focus on immediate symptom management and long-term solutions. Reducing the pain and inflammation right now is an important part of helping you find relief. But these temporary fixes don’t result in lasting recovery, which is why we also prioritize other treatments to minimize the risk of pain and symptoms in the future.
Schedule a Consultation with a Pain Management Doctor
Do you need help managing chronic pain and spinal stenosis? Then the first step is to schedule a consultation with a pain management doctor. We offer treatments that aren’t available through your primary care physician or a general practitioner.
Our team at Texas Partners Healthcare Group provides a range of pain management services and personalized support to help you experience immediate results and long-lasting solutions. Call today to learn more about your options.
