4 Nonsurgical Treatments for Spinal Stenosis

Getting older causes many changes throughout your body, including the structures in your spine. A common age-related source of chronic back pain is spinal stenosis.

If you need treatment for spinal stenosis but aren’t ready for surgery, you can find nonsurgical therapies at AABP Integrative Pain Care. Our skilled interventional pain specialists offer a range of services to help you achieve lasting back pain relief in Brooklyn, New York, without the need for incisions.

We also provide resources that keep you physically active, so you can avoid additional pain and other spine complications.

Why you have spinal stenosis pain

Your spinal canal is formed by the hollow spaces in the center of each of your vertebrae. This canal houses and protects your spinal cord, a bundle of nerves that form at the base of the brain and run down your spine’s center. Also inside your spinal canal are nerve roots that branch out from your spinal canal.

When the spinal canal begins to narrow due to age-related changes, degenerative disease, or trauma, the bony structures begin to press on the spinal cord and nerve roots. This causes symptoms like:

• Persistent back pain
• Muscle cramping
• Burning or aching sensations
• Pins and needles sensations

Depending on which area of your spine narrows, you may also have pain, numbness, and weakness that radiate out into your arms, hands, legs, and feet.

Symptoms of spinal stenosis can progressively worsen over time. With severe spinal stenosis, you may find walking, sitting, and standing difficult. In the most serious cases, spinal stenosis can negatively affect your bladder and bowel function, as well as your sexual function.

4 nonsurgical spinal stenosis treatments

People with severe spinal stenosis may require surgery to address the root cause of pain. However, in less advanced stages, there are several nonsurgical options our team can recommend to relieve your pain, improve your mobility, and lessen the likelihood that you’ll need surgery.

Here are four treatment strategies to consider:

1. Bracing

Wearing a brace can provide your spine with extra support and keep you mindful of your posture. A brace also prevents unnecessary movements that can irritate the spinal nerves.

2. Posture therapy

Posture therapy is a holistic therapy that takes your body mass into consideration to improve the health of your spine. The goal of therapy is to enhance the alignment of the load-bearing joints in your body to restore balance in your overall musculoskeletal system.

3. Physical therapy

Physical therapy and at-home exercises can improve the strength of the abdominal muscles and the muscles that support your spine to relieve pressure on the nerves. Therapy can also reduce your risk for additional pain, so you can stay physically active.

4. Epidural injections

Epidural injections deliver steroid medications directly into the epidural space of your spine to address inflammation in the spinal nerves. The injection can also include a local anesthetic that disrupts nerve signals from your spine from traveling to your brain.

You don’t have to suffer with the pain of spinal stenosis any longer. Call AABP Integrative Pain Care to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online today.