If you experience numbness, weakness, neck pain, or back pain, you may have spinal stenosis, which is the narrowing of your spinal canal. At Hillcrest Pain and Spine in Lexington, Kentucky, board-certified pain management physician Ihab Labatia, MD, and his experienced team diagnose and treat spinal stenosis to relieve your discomfort. Call the office to schedule an appointment or book one online today.
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in your neck or back that puts pressure on the surrounding nerves. It can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms when left untreated. At the first sign of spinal stenosis, see Dr. Labatia and his staff for an evaluation.
Common signs and symptoms you may notice if you have spinal stenosis include:
You can also experience pain or cramping in your legs when standing or walking. The pain might be mild or severe and debilitating. On the other hand, with spinal stenosis, you may not have any symptoms at all -- at least not right away.
While spinal stenosis can happen to anyone, some factors boost your risk of developing it. Common causes and risk factors include:
Risk factors for having spinal stenosis include being over age 50, trauma, spinal deformities like scoliosis, and genetic diseases that affect muscle or bone development.
To find out if you have spinal stenosis, Dr. Labatia discusses your symptoms and medical history. He completes a physical examination and may recommend you undergo X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or other imaging procedures.
Common treatments for spinal stenosis include:
Common home remedies that help relieve spinal stenosis pain include heat or cold packs, over-the-counter medicines, healthy weight management, regular exercise, and assistive devices.
Dr. Labatia might suggest you take certain medications to relieve discomfort caused by spinal stenosis and give you a better quality of life.
Physical therapy stretches and exercises can build up strength and endurance, improve flexibility and balance, and reduce unpleasant spinal stenosis symptoms.
Spinal decompression uses specialized instruments to remove thickened ligaments in your spinal column, increase spinal canal space, and alleviate pinched nerves.
Steroid injections help reduce inflammation linked with spinal stenosis to alleviate your discomfort.
Surgery helps reduce nerve root or spinal cord pressure by making more space in your spinal canal, thereby reducing painful symptoms of spinal stenosis.
To find out if you have spinal stenosis and relieve severe or ongoing pain, call the Hillcrest Pain and Spine office or book an appointment online today.
