Understanding Your Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis

Back pain has many causes, from muscle strains to structural problems with the spine. One of the major culprits behind chronic back pain is spinal stenosis.

Hearing spinal stenosis as the diagnosis of your back problem is stressful, especially when you don’t understand the condition. Even though it’s scary, spinal stenosis is very treatable, and you can get long-term relief from various therapies.

At Consultants in Pain Medicine, Dr. Stephanie S. Jones offers various therapies for back pain when you have spinal stenosis. Dr. Jones is an experienced pain management specialist who provides options like epidural steroid injections and spinal cord stimulation.

What is spinal stenosis?

The spine is an essential part of the body, housing the spinal cord and allowing your body to take shape. We only sometimes remember just how vital the spine is once pain strikes and it’s difficult to move.

Back pain is a common problem among millions of people. Sometimes, it is short-lived from an injury, while other times, it's a sign of a bigger problem with the spine. Spinal stenosis is one of the issues that leads to long-term back pain.

The spinal canal houses the spinal cord and needs to be wide enough to prevent compression of the vital structures. Spinal stenosis happens when the spinal canal narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord and surrounding nerves.

Spinal stenosis is a chronic condition leading to various back and neck issues. Some of the symptoms of spinal stenosis include:

• Neck or lower back pain
• Numbness and tingling
• Balance problems
• Heaviness in the legs
• Trouble using your hands
• Pain that travels down the legs
• Weakness in the arms and legs

Spinal stenosis often affects the neck or lower back and varies in severity. It typically happens over time, either from an injury or age-related spine changes.

Diagnosing spinal stenosis

Diagnosing back pain is a simple procedure that Dr. Jones takes very seriously. She thoroughly evaluates your spine and talks to you about the symptoms you’re experiencing.

She also performs a physical exam, where she may press on different spine areas to see where it hurts. Dr. Jones also discusses what makes your pain better or worse during the exam.

The next step in diagnosing spinal stenosis is imaging studies so Dr. Jones can see the structures of your spine. Imaging tests that aid in a spinal stenosis diagnosis include:

• X-ray
• CT scan
• MRI
• CT myelogram

Each test shows Dr. Jones various aspects of the spine, including the bones and nerves. She takes the information she collects during the physical exam and the results of the imaging studies to conclude spinal stenosis and back pain.

What are the next steps?

When you get a spinal stenosis diagnosis, you might be wondering what the next steps are — but the good news is, there's treatment out there for you. Dr. Jones offers various treatments depending on your specific needs.

Conservative therapies are usually the first step with spinal stenosis for pain relief. Treatments that help with spinal stenosis include:

• Rehabilitative exercise
• Heat and ice
• Physical therapy
• Oral medications
• Epidural steroid injections
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy

In mild to moderate spinal stenosis cases, these conservative treatments are enough to provide relief and allow you to enjoy everyday activities. However, if your pain persists through conservative measures, Dr. Jones may discuss further treatments.

She offers spinal cord stimulation and radiofrequency ablation for nerve pain associated with spinal stenosis. These procedures are more invasive than other treatments, so it's essential to understand how they work before deciding on a plan.

Call Consultants in Pain Medicine today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jones for spinal stenosis or request an appointment on the website.