Alternative Cures for Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis refers to a medical condition in which the spinal cord narrows, causing pinched nerves. There are many reasons for spinal stenosis, including arthritis and degenerative disc disease, and it is estimated that over 400,000 Americans are affected by spinal stenosis. The vast majority of diagnoses are in those 60 years of age and older.

Symptoms

• Spinal stenosis treatments address the symptoms, and if possible, the underlying cause of the symptoms (the nerve damage and the narrowing of the spinal cord). Symptoms that require treatment include persistent sharp or dull aches in the back and buttocks, radiating pain in the thighs, numbness in the legs, weakness and difficulty moving. Symptoms typically become worse when walking or moving, and are relieved when sitting down.

Treatment

• Standard treatments for spinal stenosis include both surgical and non-surgical methods. Non-surgical methods include restricting motion and wearing a support device such as a back brace, or physical therapy. Pain killers are often prescribed, and since non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID) are usually not effective at treating pain, analgesics or epidural steroid infections may be necessary.

Alternative Therapies

• Many patients prefer alternative treatment methods to drug therapy and surgery. These alternative treatment methods are largely designed to control the pain associated with the symptoms of spinal stenosis, and not to cure the spinal stenosis itself. The treatment methods include acupuncture, Swedish massage and chiropractic manipulation.

Functions of Alternative Treatments

• While each of the alternatives treatments is similar in their attempts to relieve pain and pressure, they function in different ways. Acupuncture involves using pressure points to relieve pain. Acupuncture focuses on pressure points related to the bones and nerves. These pressure points include meridians in the kidney and bladder, which are parallel to the spine.
  Chiropractic manipulation re-adjusts the spine, and may actually help to relieve pressure on the pinched nerves so may provide the best long term cure of all the alternative therapies. Chiropractors either realign the spine, or use ultrasound stimulation to help relieve symptoms. This does not make use of pressure points, but instead focuses on readjusting the spine which is causing the pressure.
  Swedish massage uses deep tissue therapy to help to relieve pain. Swedish massage does not cure spinal stenosis but is designed as a pain management technique. Massages range from light massage (effleurage) to deep cross friction massages which focus on deep tissue massage.

Effectiveness of Alternative Treatments

• According to Your Orthopedic Connection, these alternative and homeopathic remedies may be able to provide temporary relief of symptoms and pain associated with spinal stenosis. However, Your Orthopedic Connection cautions that these alternative treatments cannot cure spinal stenosis, as the treatments do not resolve the underlying tension on the nerves.