Relief for Lower Spinal Stenosis
- The most common symptom of lower spinal stenosis is pain. Thus, if your case is mild, simple pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen may relieve your symptoms. However, in many cases, the pain caused by spinal stenosis may be too severe to be treated by such anti-inflammatory drugs. Analgesics such as acetaminophen may also be used but will also have a similar pain ceiling.
Consider wearing a back brace to help support your spine, and restrict your physical activity. If none of these methods work, a doctor may also offer you epidural steroid injections. These shots will help bring down inflammation, and even a single dose may provide significant relief. - There are two goals of surgery for lower spinal stenosis. The first is to relieve pressure on your spinal cord; the second is to keep your spine strong. A laminotomy is a common procedure for treating spinal stenosis. In this surgery, a portion of the lamina (the part of the bone over the spinal canal) is removed to allow more space for the nerves that had been compressed in the spinal cord.
A more complex procedure known as a decompressive laminectomy may also be undertaken; in this case, the entire lamina is removed. This is often performed as a laparoscopic procedure, in which a tiny camera and surgical instruments are inserted in your back through very small incisions, and the procedure is performed on a video monitor. This is a much more complicated surgery, but the pain from surgery is significantly less and recovery time significantly shorter.
Be warned, though: Back surgery can be a risky procedure. In addition to the usual risks of complication from surgery, back surgery also presents the risk of serious nerve damage from a single false move by the surgeon. Consult with your doctor, and be sure that the surgery is necessary before moving forward.