Is Spinal Stenosis Treatable Without Surgery?

You need your spine to stay straight and strong. This part of your body makes a big difference in your overall health! But, over time, your spine may experience degenerative changes, with the wear-and-tear of daily life causing structural problems and intrusive or uncomfortable symptoms.

If your spine develops structural issues, you may suffer from chronic back or neck pain, depending on the area of your affected spine. When this happens, you need expert treatment advice to improve your spine’s condition and relieve symptoms.

What types of structural issues can affect your spine? Spinal stenosis, or the narrowing of the spinal canal, is more common than you might realize.

We specialize in spinal surgery at the Total Spine Institute, with locations in Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Los Angeles, Rancho Cordova, and Vallejo, California. Dr. Andrew Fox and Dr. Ryan Mattie use the latest minimally invasive techniques for your procedure, keeping your risks low and your recovery time short. We also provide nonsurgical treatments that can relieve your symptoms or slow the progression of spinal degeneration.

Which type of spinal stenosis treatment is right for you? Your provider at the Total Spine Institute works with you to put together your custom treatment plan. Here are some of the treatment options for spinal stenosis that you should know more about.

Nonsurgical treatments for spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis often emerges in your 50s or 60s as decades of wear-and-tear add up. Your lifestyle and body weight also make a difference when it comes to your risks.

It helps to identify and accurately diagnose your spinal problem early. Then, your provider at the Total Spine Institute reviews your treatment options with you, including nonsurgical treatment paths.

Nonsurgical ways to address spinal stenosis or relieve symptoms include:

• Lifestyle changes such as healthy weight loss
• Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that support your back and spine
• Corticosteroid and anesthetic injections that relieve pain for months at a time
• Regenerative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment to repair damaged tissue

If these interventions make enough of a difference in your pain levels, you may not need surgery at all or may be able to delay surgery for some time.

Surgery for spinal stenosis

You may need surgery to address the cause of spinal narrowing and create more space in your spinal canal. Degenerative disc disease, a herniated spinal disc, or bone spurs from osteoarthritis often result in spinal stenosis and may need surgical treatment. You could also have a spinal fracture that needs to be surgically set. If your symptoms relate to any of these underlying causes, nonsurgical treatment may not be enough to resolve the problem.

Spine surgery is often complex and comes with risks and recovery time. But, in some cases, spine surgery is the best way to restore your spine and resolve troublesome symptoms. Treatment with options like the Vertiflex™ Procedure Superion™ Indirect Decompression System may ultimately be what you need to fully recover from spinal stenosis symptoms.

For knowledgeable support with spinal stenosis, contact Total Spine Institute online or over the phone to book an appointment today.