Spinal Stenosis Manual Therapy

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing in the lower or upper areas of your spine. The narrowing puts pressure on the spine and surrounding nerves, resulting in pain and numbness to the legs, arms, back and shoulders. Various types of manual therapy is used to relieve pain brought on by spinal stenosis.

Therapy

• Apply heat to painful areas to reduce pain and loosen stiff joints. A heating pad applied several times a day for 15 to 20 minutes increases blood flow to the area and promotes healing. Apply cold packs to reduce swelling and inflammation. Wrap a cold pack in a towel and apply it to the skin. Do not apply a cold pack directly to skin, because it can cause irritation. Leave cold packs on five to 10 minutes a couple of times a day.
  Restrict activity until the pain has improved and then gradually move to passive activity such as walking.
  See a physical therapist about an exercise routine to help strengthen muscles in the back. Your therapist will start with exercises that help with range of motion and flexibility. Yoga may be incorporated into your exercise routine, because it provides strength and stretches muscles. As your pain eases, aerobic activity such as walking, bicycling or swimming may be added to your routine. Strength building with weights will help muscles support the narrow areas of your spine, providing pain and inflammation relief. Exercises to strengthen abdominal muscles may also be encouraged, because weakened stomach muscles put strain on the spine. Use good posture when sitting or standing so the spine is properly aligned.
  Use a TENS machine to help reduce the pain of spinal stenosis. A TENS machine has electrodes that are placed on the skin where pain is the worst. Small electrical currents are released into your body through the electrodes. The electrical stimulation interferes with pain signals being sent to the brain and releases endorphins, which are the body's natural pain killers.
  Wear a back brace to support the spine and take over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil can relieve swelling.
  Talk to your doctor about your different therapy options and what is best for your individual needs.