Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis describes the narrowing of the space within your spine, which puts pressure on your nerves and causes pain in your back, shoulders, buttocks, and legs. Adam Shestack, MD, and Cy Blanco, MD, pain management specialists at Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, provide treatments to relieve the persistent pain that often accompanies this degenerative condition. Call the office or use the online tool to schedule your appointment and learn how you can find relief from spinal stenosis pain.

What is spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a degenerative condition of your spine. A normal spinal column has open spaces through which your spinal cord and spinal nerves travel. Spinal stenosis describes a narrowing of these passages, which compresses the nerves and causes pain and weakness. 

Spinal stenosis is usually caused by: 

• Wear-and-tear changes that develop from osteoarthritis
• Soft tissue problems, like tumors or a disc herniation
• Spinal dislocations or fractures
• Degenerative disc disease 
• Genetic irregularities in the spine

Usually, spinal stenosis affects the lumbar (lower) spine or the cervical spine (the neck). 

Typically, spinal stenosis develops in people 50 or older, but it can occur in younger people who have congenital spine issues.

What are the symptoms of spinal stenosis?

Not everyone with spinal stenosis has symptoms, and for some people, they take time to develop. Symptoms may be intermittent or only occur with certain activities. Pain related to spinal stenosis is often relieved by sitting down or lying down or by bending forward. 

Your symptoms depend on where you’re experiencing the most significant narrowing of the spinal canal. 

If you have cervical stenosis, you’ll experience pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in your arms and shoulders. With lumbar stenosis, however, your symptoms usually appear in your hips, buttocks, and legs. 

Sciatica often accompanies lumbar stenosis. This condition causes a burning, radiating pain through your buttocks and down your legs. 

Pain can also be centrally located in the spine, within the lower back or neck. If not treated, spinal stenosis can eventually lead to permanent nerve damage. 

How is spinal stenosis treated?

Spinal stenosis pain can be managed with multiple treatments. Your dedicated provider at Florida Pain Management Institute develops a customized plan for you, depending on the location of your pain, the severity of your condition, and your lifestyle. 

Treatment may include:

• Steroid injections
• Pain-relieving drugs
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Epidural steroid injections
• Nerve blocks
• Facet joint injections
• Physical therapy
• Muscle relaxants
• Spinal cord stimulation

You may also benefit from spinal decompression to increase the space in your spinal canal. 

Get relief from the pain and dysfunction caused by spinal stenosis with treatment from the team at Florida Pain Management Institute. Call today to set up your appointment or use this online scheduling tool.