When you experience an injury to the spinal column, it can cause the spine and spinal canal to become misaligned; fractures can cause bone fragments to enter the spinal canal. This condition is lumbar spinal stenosis, and it puts pressure on the nerves traveling through the backbone. You might feel immediate pain, or symptoms could appear days later. Here is more information about lumbar spinal stenosis and how a pain management specialist can help treat it:
Understanding Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis involves the narrowing of the open spaces within your spine, and in some cases, the condition is congenital. The constriction puts pressure on the spinal cord. It also compresses the nerves traveling down the back. While osteoarthritis causes the condition in older adults, lumbar spinal stenosis also results directly from injury.
Identifying Common Symptoms
Symptoms manifest differently depending on the injury site. Numbness or tingling that radiates to the legs or feet is one sign of lumbar spine issues. Because the nerves in the lumbar region are compressed, sensory signals to the lower body become disrupted. You might feel pain while standing, or walking may become difficult.
Severe cases lead to mobility issues. When the pain radiates down the leg, this is known as sciatica. You may experience cramping in the calf muscles that makes it difficult to walk. Leg weakness is another sign, and you may experience a decrease in pain when bending over or lying down.
Exploring Treatment Options
Pain management doctors tend to prioritize conservative therapies before recommending invasive operations. They evaluate the severity of the stenosis, and then they create a personalized recovery plan. Although surgery is an option for severe damage, you may find relief through non-surgical care.
If you get an epidural steroid injection, it may provide targeted relief for deep inflammation. These injections deliver medication near the nerve roots, and they reduce the inflammation causing the compression and the pain. Physical therapy strengthens stabilizing muscles and restores mobility after injuries.
Typical treatments involve:
- Corticosteroid injections
- Physical therapy and stretching
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs
- Activity modification and rest
If a healthcare professional does deem surgery necessary, minimally invasive lumbar decompression, or MILD, may be an option. MILD is a treatment for patients experiencing leg pain or numbness caused by a narrowed spinal canal. The MILD procedure addresses this issue through a tiny incision, and it restores space in the spine without the need for major surgery or permanent implants.
Seeking Medical Help
While low back pain is generally temporary and resolves on its own, seek medical advice if you experience back pain accompanied by any of the following warning signs, which could indicate a serious underlying problem:
- Radiating pain and neurological symptoms: Pain that spreads below the knee or into the foot, especially if accompanied by numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness.
- Bladder or bowel dysfunction: Issues such as difficulty urinating, an inability to feel when the bladder is full, or trouble controlling bowel movements.
- Saddle anesthesia: Numbness in the buttocks, genital area, or around the anus.
- Signs of infection: Systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, or night sweats.
- Unexplained physical decline: Unintended weight loss or physical weakness, particularly if you have a history of cancer.
- Trauma-related pain: Pain following an accident, such as a fall, sports injury, or car crash, which may indicate a bone fracture
Learn More About Treatment
While it can be a congenital condition, traumatic injury also causes spinal stenosis; injury is the most common cause of the condition. The injury misaligns the spine and the spinal canal, and nerve compression causes symptoms like pain or numbness. Because back injuries can affect mobility, pain management specialists offer non-surgical solutions. If you want to learn more about lumbar spinal stenosis treatment, consult a pain management specialist near you.
