Numbness in your genital region and/or loss of bladder or bowel control is another indication that you suffer from severe spinal stenosis. It's a rare but very serious complication that requires immediate attention. “For severe stenosis, surgery is generally recommended,” Dr. Jain explains.
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of spinal stenosis. More serious symptoms that need prompt attention include: Difficulty or poor balance when walking. Worsening numbness and weakness of your limb.
Stenosis is considered severe when it causes loss of certain functions or disabilities, or when other treatment options have failed to relieve symptoms. You should consult an expert neurosurgeon to assess your symptoms.
Laminectomy is a surgery that doctors perform to treat spinal stenosis by removing the bony spurs and the bone walls of the vertebrae. This helps to open up the spinal column and remove the pressure on the nerves. Doctors may perform a discectomy during a laminectomy.
If you have lumbar spinal stenosis, you may have trouble walking distances or find that you need to lean forward to relieve pressure on your lower back. You may also have pain or numbness in your legs. In more severe cases, you may have difficulty controlling your bowel and bladder.
Running is a high-impact activity that causes repeated impacts on the spine. This can worsen back pain and neurological symptoms from spinal stenosis. While short walks are considered a good option for exercise with spinal stenosis, it's wise to avoid prolonged walks.
Narrowing of the spinal canal usually occurs slowly, over many years or decades. The disks become less spongy with aging, resulting in loss of disk height, and may cause bulging of the hardened disk into the spinal canal. Bone spurs may also occur and ligaments may thicken.
Usually, our spine specialists consider surgery only if symptoms such as weakness, numbness, or pain in the arms or legs indicate severe or progressive nerve or spinal cord compression.
There's no formal age limit for spinal stenosis surgery. However, the younger a patient undergoes spinal surgery, the more likely they will require reoperation. Additionally, many elderly patients are at a high risk of complications from surgery.
Spinal stenosis in the lower back can cause pain or cramping in one or both legs. This happens when you stand for a long time or when you walk. Symptoms get better when you bend forward or sit. Some people also have back pain.
Spinal stenosis symptoms may start slowly and worsen over time. Leg pain may become so severe that walking short distances is unbearable. People with spinal stenosis may experience numbness, weakness or cramping in legs, pain going down the leg, abnormal bowel or bladder function, and loss of sexual function.
Spinal stenosis can result in significant morbidity. Severe disability and death may result from the association of cervical stenosis with even minor trauma resulting in the central cord syndrome. Both upper (cervical) and lower (lumbar) spinal stenosis may result in motor weakness and chronic pain.
Stage 3 – Stabilization
At this stage severe remodeling of the bones and decrease of joint space causes for a severe loss of mobility. Bone spurs continue to grow and can narrow the spinal canal, which presses onto the spinal cord or nerve roots.
Red-flag signs and symptoms of spinal stenosis
Rarely, severe spinal stenosis may cause red-flag symptoms, such as bowel and/or bladder incontinence, numbness in the inner thighs and genital area, and/or severe weakness in both legs.
Spinal stenosis can't be cured but responds to treatment.
Hennenhoefer says you can live a normal life with a spinal stenosis diagnosis and can work on improving your mobility and comfort. "Unfortunately, nothing can stop the progression of spinal stenosis, since it is due to daily wear and tear," said Dr.
Flare ups may be caused by muscle spasms, which can be caused by bending or twisting suddenly.
Most people have good results from surgery and are able to return to a normal lifestyle after they heal. People tend to have less leg pain and can walk better afterward. However, surgery doesn't cure arthritis or other conditions that might have caused the spinal canal to narrow in the first place.
Risks of Untreated Spinal Stenosis
Constant Pain and Discomfort: Even if your condition begins with only mild or intermittent pain, it will likely become worse over time, occurring more often and at worse levels.
In fact, an estimated 70% of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis can effectively manage their symptoms with non-surgical treatments alone.
However, there may be a diseased spinal cord that is causing this symptom. As the disease advances and if left untreated, patients eventually end up in a wheelchair and lose the ability to walk. Another symptom that is present early on is hand "clumsiness".
Weill Cornell Medicine Pain Management offers a new technology to treat spinal stenosis and minimize the painful symptoms. Vertiflex superion is a device that is implanted into the area of the spine causing pain and relieves pressure on the affected nerves.
Typically you will experience pain for a few weeks after surgery and you may need over-the-counter or prescription pain medications. Your spine surgeon may also prescribe a course of physical therapy to help you regain strength in your abdomen and back and promote a better recovery.
In spinal stenosis, people typically experience less pain with leaning forward, and especially with sitting. Studies of the lumbar spine show that leaning forward can increase the space available for the nerves. Pain is usually made worse by standing up straight and walking.
Symptomatic patients with lumbar stenosis typically experience pain on standing or walking, and may have trouble walking for any length of time or for long distances. They need to sit down or lean forward (such as when pushing a shopping trolley) to relieve the pain. The pain typically returns when standing upright.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain and inflammation. Examples of over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Analgesics help relieve pain but don't affect inflammation. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a common analgesic used for spinal stenosis.