Can You Repair Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a condition in which your spine narrows. "The narrowing can occur at the center of your spine, in the canals branching off your spine and/or between the vertebrae, the bones of the spine," according to MedlinePlus.

Cause

• Spinal stenosis is often caused by osteoarthritis, an age-related degenerative joint disease. This is known as acquired spinal stenosis. Primary spinal stenosis is congenital, meaning you are born with it. It occurs less frequently than the acquired type.

Symptoms

• People with spinal stenosis have a range of symptoms, including numbness, tingling, cramping or pain in the leg; back and hip pain; neck and shoulder pain; leg weakness; and loss of bladder or bowel function.

Nonsurgical Treatment

• Opt for the least invasive treatment first, such as physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medication. Nonsurgical remedies cannot reverse the spinal canal narrowing that stenosis causes, but these treatments do offer symptom relief, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Surgical Treatment

• Resort to surgery when your pain is unbearable. There are two main types of surgery--laminectomy and fusion. Surgery serves to decrease nerve or spinal cord pressure and strengthen the spine, explains MayoClinic.com.

Considerations

• Keep in mind that surgery to treat spinal stenosis is not curative. The purpose of surgery is to manage the symptoms, which, in some individuals, can return in as soon as a few years.