Degeneration in your spine may cause common symptoms of aging, like aches and pains in your upper or lower back or neck. The majority of adults in the United States go through some type of degenerative spinal change during the aging process. Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, is a common type of spine degeneration.
Getting older doesn’t mean accepting that you just have to live with aches and pains. At Total Spine Institute of Sherman Oaks and Calabasas, California, our team of experts, led by Dr. Andrew Fox and Dr. Ryan Mattie, relieves symptoms related to spinal degeneration.
If you’re dealing with the effects of spinal stenosis, you should know more about how nerve blocks and other types of pain injections can help you, both as a strategy for pain relief and as a diagnostic tool.
The many small bones and cushioning spinal discs between them that make up your spinal column need sufficient space to move flexibly without compression or irritation. The spinal canal provides sufficient space for your spinal cord, including the many major nerves that connect to the spinal column.
Spinal stenosis becomes increasingly common once you reach your 50s and 60s. Natural physical degeneration related to aging causes the spinal canal to shrink, collapsing in on itself. That means your spinal cord no longer has the space it needs to function without pain or constriction.
Putting pressure on nerves causes symptoms including pain, referred pain, numbness, tingling, and loss of sensation. If you have cervical spinal stenosis that affects your upper spine, you suffer from uncomfortable symptoms in your neck. Lumbar spinal stenosis, the most common type, causes symptoms in your lower back.
Spinal stenosis can affect other parts of your body beyond just your back and neck. For example, lumbar spinal stenosis can result in sciatica, shooting pain felt down your leg, or even loss of sensation in your feet. Cervical spinal stenosis can result in issues with function in your arms and hands.
Your spinal stenosis may be caused by osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, or a herniated spinal disc. Fractures and injuries can also result in spinal stenosis. In some cases, spinal stenosis requires surgical intervention to restore the space around the spine.
Once you understand the root cause of your pain problems, it’s time to figure out how to relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Dr. Fox and Dr. Mattie offer cutting-edge, evidence-based treatment for spinal conditions like spinal stenosis.
Nerve blocks offer immediate pain relief and can help your provider at Total Spine Institute learn more about your spine’s condition and treatment needs. When you come in with spinal stenosis symptoms, we use early intervention tools like pain relief injections and physical therapy to provide relief.
Nerve block injections contain a local anesthetic. As soon as the injection enters your spinal space, the medication goes to work soothing painful or pinched nerves. Your injection can also be adjusted to contain steroid medications for extra support. Your injection appointment is quick, and you don’t need to plan on post-treatment downtime.
Pain relief results from nerve block injections, which can last for multiple months at a time. Nerve block treatment can also help you better tolerate physical therapy so you can address spinal problems more long term.
The team at Total Spine Institute may also use nerve blocks to identify the area of your spine where stenosis is causing problems. When we know more about your spinal condition, your treatment plan is more likely to deliver full symptom relief results with fewer interventions.
You don’t have to learn to live with pain or other symptoms related to spinal stenosis. To learn if you could be a good candidate for nerve block treatment, contact Total Spine Institute today and schedule an appointment. Call now, or book your appointment today with our online scheduling tool.
