Spinal narrowing or stenosis usually starts with weakness and pain. In most cases, it begins near the spine and radiates throughout the body. If you’ve been diagnosed with spinal narrowing, you may wonder what options are available to you. Spinal stenosis treatment in Boca Raton FL can include many things. The goal, however, is to focus on treating the symptoms and working from there.
Your Symptoms
Spinal stenosis can cause you chronic pain that can affect daily living activities. Symptoms can start in the neck or back, move to the shoulders, and on to the arms, legs, feet, or hips. You might also experience a tingling sensation, weakness, or numbness while walking. Some people also have difficulty sitting, leaning back, walking or lose flexibility in their joints.
Along with such, the symptoms you face are directly related to what area of the spine is narrowed. It happens in three main areas, including the neck area, lower spine, and middle spine.
Treatments are usually based on your symptoms. If you think you have spinal stenosis but haven’t been diagnosed, your doctor may order an MRI to be sure. Then, you can start working on treatments.
Conservative Options
Most people prefer to start with the noninvasive treatments first because they can be less expensive and less painful. Therefore, you may start with OTC pain relievers and prescriptions, learn how to modify activities to feel less pain or fewer symptoms, and use a neck brace.
Other options can include physical therapy, lifestyle changes, exercise, hot/cold compress therapy and epidural injections.
In most cases, doctors request that you try multiple conservative treatments for six weeks. If symptoms don’t improve or get worse, it could be time to consider more advanced treatments, such as laser surgery, which is less invasive than traditional surgeries. Visit Boca Raton Orthopaedic Group for more information.
