Patients who experience chronic pain in their spinal column know that it daily affects their lives. While we rarely think about it daily, the spine that holds our body together is an integral part of the human anatomy. Any issue or problem that may arise in the spinal column can be disastrous when it comes to completing daily activities such as walking or bending over. For some patients, the chronic pain they are suffering from is a symptom of spinal stenosis. If there has not been a serious injury or something that may cause continual pain from an outside source, the pain they are feeling may be a sign that spinal stenosis has affected the neck (cervical spine) or the lower back (lumbar spine). The symptoms will be indicators of the extent and severity of the condition, and a patient must experience joint pain or other concerns in their back.
At New York Spine Specialist, our team of professionals understands that pain management and pain relief are essential for patients to continue living their lives normally. Our doctors and physical therapists are here to evaluate your condition, determine the source of your pain, and develop a plan with treatments for your specific spinal condition. If you have spinal stenosis, there are various treatment options, including interventional pain management and physical therapy. We have found that you can learn quite a bit about your own body just by undergoing advanced pain management for spinal stenosis.
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
Some spaces throughout the spinal column are designed to relieve the pressure on the spine itself. This may create a painful sensation. In spinal stenosis, these spaces are narrowed, and the nerves that travel through the spine put pressure on them. Spinal stenosis is classified according to the narrowing location – cervical (neck) or lumbar (lower back). The lower back is the most common form of spinal stenosis. Interestingly, some patients do not experience any pain or symptoms of the condition. In contrast, others experience advanced pain and other severe symptoms that may limit their ability to be active in their lives.
Some of these symptoms include:
- numbness (arms or legs, depending on location)
- tingling (arms or legs, depending on location)
- weakness (arms or legs, depending on location)
- problems walking and balance
- neck pain (for cervical)
- bowel or bladder dysfunction
- pain or cramping in the legs
- back pain
If you are experiencing these or any other kinds of pain in your spine, call an interventional pain management specialist to schedule an appointment.
Causes of Spinal Stenosis
Most patients who experience spinal stenosis are caused by age and general wear and tear related to osteoarthritis. However, other patients may develop spinal stenosis due to degeneration and congenital spinal conditions. Some of the most common causes of spinal stenosis aside from age include:
- overgrowth of a bone
- herniated discs
- thickened ligaments
- tumors
- spinal injuries
Depending on your situation, your physicians will determine the level of pain management and treatment you will need. Your doctor will customize your healing plan from oral pain medicine to injections, physical therapy, and surgery.
Risk Factors for Spinal Stenosis
In most cases, the highest risk factor for this condition is age. Those over the age of 50 are most likely to develop spinal stenosis. However, other causes can make the condition develop in younger patients, such as trauma, congenital spinal deformity (scoliosis), and genetic diseases which affect bones and muscle development.
How Is Chronic Pain from Spinal Stenosis Treated?
Treatment is not a one-size-fits-all situation for spinal stenosis. Physicians and therapists will develop a custom plan for your pain level and the location of the stenosis in your spine. In general, doctors may prescribe a wide variety of treatments and pain management options, including:
- Pain medicine such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen
- Tricyclic antidepressants as night
- Anti-seizure drugs such as gabapentin and pregabalin
- Opioids such as Oxycontin and Vicodin (short term use only)
- Physical therapy
- Steroid injections
- Decompression procedures
- Surgeries to relieve spinal pressure such as laminectomy, laminotomy, and laminoplasty
- Massage therapy
- Chiropractic treatments
- Acupuncture
Call the best spine clinic in New York to get the best care possible!
Benefits of Advanced Pain Management for Spinal Stenosis
While working with your doctors and finding the right types of medicine or the optimal treatment for your pain management, you may learn many things about how your body works and what it responds best.
When you enlist the medical advice of our compassionate professionals at New York Spine Specialist for advanced pain management, you will begin to see many benefits, including:
- Over-the-counter pain medicine can be as effective (not potentially addicting) as prescription pain medicine.
- Lifestyle and overall wellness play a key role in your body’s ability to heal and relieve pain from the pressure.
- Maintaining a healthy weight can take the pressure off of your spine and reduce your pain.
- Exercising, stretching, and strengthening your body, especially your back, legs, and abdominal muscles, can help to open up the spine.
- Using a medical device such as a cane or walker can greatly reduce the pain and pressure – do not be embarrassed about utilizing it.
- Sitting may reduce the pain temporarily, but staying active and moving around throughout the day has better long-term benefits.
- Enlisting the help of a professional for stretching and mobility can have great benefits and less risk of injury.
- You may not change your genes, but you can work with a professional, board-certified spinal team to prevent their effects, so you do not suffer from chronic pain.
- Advanced pain management will help you learn about your spine’s roles in daily activities.
- Your spine can and will grow stronger if you are willing to put in the effort.
If you are a patient suffering from spinal stenosis, call our compassionate spine experts to help you treat the pain.
Contact New York Spine Specialist for Advanced Pain Management of Spinal Stenosis
At New York Spine Specialist, our team has the knowledge, skills, and experience to properly diagnose your condition and develop a customized treatment plan for you. If you are dealing with the pain and discomfort of spinal stenosis, our pain specialists are here to provide you with the advanced pain management techniques you need to control the pain you are feeling and live your optimal life. Our team is available to answer your questions about spinal stenosis and the best ways of managing the condition’s symptoms. Call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists in NYC, Westchester, Jersey City, Secaucus, and other locations so you can start to get back to your normal, pain-free life!