Spine problems and injuries are the major cause of disability among many individuals. The spine controls your movement, holds your posture, and protects your spinal cord. Back pain is one of the symptoms of a spinal problem, limiting your mobility and affecting your daily activities. Though considered fatal, spine issues can be resolved with effective treatments provided by qualified Neurosurgeons.
A professional neurosurgeon can have experience in treating various spinal issues with many successful cases. They could offer compassionate and detailed care to patients. Moreover, a highly qualified neurosurgeon has advanced training in non-invasive and complex spine surgery to offer quality and effective care for lumbar spinal stenosis to relieve your pain and restore your health.
What is lumbar spinal stenosis?
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a health condition where the spinal canal narrows and compresses the nerves traveling down your legs at the lumbar vertebrae. The condition causes lower back pain and numbness of the legs.
The narrowing of the spinal canal occurs when an injury or fracture decreases the space inside the opening. Genetics may also contribute to spinal stenosis.
What are the causes of lumbar spinal stenosis?
The conditions that often cause lumbar spinal stenosis include:
Bone spurs
Degenerative disc disease
Thickened ligaments
Herniated disc
Bulging disc
Degenerative spondylolisthesis
The above disorders cause changes that lead to misaligned vertebrae, causing nerve compression and inflammation.
What are the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis?
After a spinal nerve compression, you may experience the following:
Leg cramping when walking or standing
Leg weakness or fatigue
Lower back pain
Tingling or numbness in your buttocks or legs
Radiating pain down your legs
When having lumbar spinal stenosis, your leg pain may feel better while resting or bending forward. In severe cases, it might hinder a person from walking and moving too much, leading to a need for mobility aids such as a walking stick, wheelchair, mobility scooter, etc. If someone in your family or friends is suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, you can explore electric wheelchairs and other devices to help them move more easily. You could first learn how power wheelchairs work by going through the user guide to teach the person how to operate them.
What is the treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis?
During your consultation, your provider reviews and examines your symptoms. Then he orders an MRI scan of your lower spine to design your treatment plan.
Based on your condition’s severity, a neurosurgeon may first treat lumbar spinal stenosis using nonsurgical options such as physical therapy, medications, and alternative therapies. For persistent pain, they might recommend an epidural steroid injection or surgery only in severe cases, where the doctor will perform various decompression procedures such as:
Lumbar laminectomy
It is the most popular surgical procedure for lumbar spinal stenosis. It involves removing part of the bone and ligaments to increase the spinal canal’s size and eliminate the pressure on the nerves.
X-STOP Interspinous Spacer
The spinous process is the bony piece sticking out from the back of each vertebra. X-STOP is a small device designed to fit between two spinous processes of two adjoining vertebrae to increase space between the two bones, decompress the nerves, and relieve your symptoms.
To sum up, lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition that leads to spinal nerve compression and inflammation, leading to lower back pain. Dr. Kakoulides and other professionals provide an effective solution using advanced and innovative techniques. Visit the practice today to relieve your lower back pain and restore your health.
