This condition can be caused by many different factors, including disc herniations, disc degeneration, facet joint arthritis and overgrowth, ligament instability and thickening, and spinal deformity.
There are many different ways to treat these symptoms and will depend on the location and severity of your spinal stenosis. Treatment often begins with physical therapy, manual manipulation such as osteopathic or chiropractic treatments, and over the counter pain medications. If these aren’t helpful, cortisone (steroid) injections can give short term relief. As the stenosis progresses, patients are often recommended surgery, which removes part of the bone, disc, and/or ligament that is putting pressure on the nerves. As a consequence of removing these structures, the spine can become unstable. If it becomes too unstable, a fusion may be performed, which involves putting rods and screws in your back to restrict movement of the loose areas. The restricted movement puts extra stress at the joints above and below the fusion, which often leads to additional problems at these areas, which could result in further surgery recommendations.
At Derrington Orthopedics – Interventional Sports and Spine, we offer Regenexx procedures as an alternative treatment for spinal stenosis, which can eliminate the need for cortisone injections and surgery. Our patients are able to get back to their normal activities with longer lasting benefits and without the harmful side effects of steroid injections. In more advanced cases, these procedures can also be a viable surgical alternative. By treating the entire functional spinal unit, we are able to improve nerve function and spinal stability, resulting in decreased pain and improved function, with minimal downtime and without the risks of invasive surgery.