Can You Treat Spinal Stenosis Without Surgery?
If you have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, you may have been told that surgery is an option down the road, or that you are not a good candidate for it. Maybe you cannot take the time off that a big operation requires. The good news is that many people with stenosis get meaningful relief without surgery. Here is what those options look like, and how to know when surgery is the better path.
What Spinal Stenosis Feels Like
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the space around the spinal nerves, usually in the lower back. As that space tightens, the nerves get crowded, and that pressure causes symptoms. The classic pattern is pain, heaviness, or cramping in the legs or buttocks that comes on with standing or walking and eases when you sit down or lean forward. Many people notice they feel better leaning on a shopping cart. If that sounds familiar, stenosis may be the reason.
Non-Surgical Options That Actually Help
The goal of non-surgical treatment is to calm the irritated nerves and keep you moving. A few approaches work well, often in combination:
Physical therapy and activity changes. Specific exercises that open up the spine, along with better strategies for walking and standing, reduce symptoms for many people. This is usually the first step.
Epidural steroid injections. These injections deliver anti-inflammatory medication into the space around the compressed nerves. For stenosis, the interlaminar approach is often used. They do not widen the canal, but they can quiet the inflammation and give relief that lasts for some patients.
The MILD procedure. MILD is a minimally invasive way to take pressure off the nerves in the lower back. Through a small opening, the doctor removes a bit of the thickened tissue and bone that is crowding the canal, which gives the nerves more room. More on who it helps below.
Who MILD Is Right For
MILD is a good fit for people who have stenosis pain but cannot have surgery, or cannot afford the long recovery that a bigger operation requires. It is done through a tiny incision, you go home the same day, and the downtime is short.
Because it is a small procedure, MILD does not open up the canal as much as a full surgery does. It is meant for the pain and the heaviness that come with stenosis. It is not the right tool for numbness or weakness in the legs. Those symptoms usually mean the nerves are under more pressure than a small procedure can relieve, and a larger decompression may be the better option.
When Surgery Is the Better Choice
Non-surgical treatment is not right for everyone. Significant or worsening numbness, weakness, or trouble with balance points to more serious nerve compression, and surgery may give you a better result. Loss of bladder or bowel control is an emergency and needs care right away. A good evaluation sorts out which group you are in before anyone commits to a plan.
Already Seen a Surgeon?
Many people come to us after seeing a spine surgeon who said surgery is not needed yet, or who recommended trying everything else first. That is exactly where non-surgical care fits. We evaluate you, treat the pain, and stay in touch with your surgeon, so if your situation ever changes, everyone is on the same page.
Spinal Stenosis Treatment in Castle Rock
Dr. Carrera is double board-certified in interventional pain medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The practice treats spinal stenosis and other spine, joint, and nerve conditions with non-opioid, procedure-based care for patients from Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Denver, Monument, and Colorado Springs, and surrounding communities.
Wondering whether you can avoid or delay surgery for stenosis? Call 720-455-3775 to find out what your options are.
