An Overview of Back Pain – Spinal Stenosis
With age, comes experience, wisdom, and a long list of health complications. No matter how healthy we are, once we hit 60, the ability to ward off every illness in the book becomes less feasible. As our bones weaken and the probability of accidents increase, back problems such as spinal stenosis turn into a reality for many.
Affecting primarily the lumbar and cervical areas of the spine, spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal canal (which is composed of nerves and the spinal cord itself), begins to compress. While the narrowing itself does not cause extreme pain, the pressed nerve endings inflict discomfort. People afflicted with lumbar spinal stenosis are likely to experience pain and sometimes numbness in their back and legs. With cervical spinal stenosis cases, the symptoms are generally more severe. This pain can occur in their arms, legs and even cause imbalance.
Spinal stenosis targets many older victims, as it is a medical condition that derives from weak bones or illnesses such as osteoarthritis. When we age, our bones begin to calcify and lose some of its cushion that protects the area. As a result, it becomes more challenging to walk long distances as your agility is impaired. While some are born with it, women who are over 50 tend to be primary targets. If you are suffering from painful spinal stenosis, it is recommended that you look at all of your options. Older patients are not likely to go with surgery as an option. However, there are plenty of beneficial and non-invasive treatments that could eliminate some of the pain.
Spinal decompression therapy, for example, is one treatment that is pain-free. It requires the patient to lay on a table hooked up to a harness and receive pressure to their spine. This pressure actually creates a vacuum effect, tugging the discs apart, allowing them to gain flexibility and stretch out. By decompressing this area, vital nutrients and blood supply re-enter, which allows the spine to heal. The result allows greater mobility and the likelihood of pain and muscle spasms are minimized. In terms of recovery, those with spinal stenosis may only experience partial recovery which means pain is somehow alleviated, unlike those with herniated discs wherein full recovery is achievable. Nevertheless, this makes a lot of difference. Most patients need to undergo 4-5 sessions per week for a minimum of twenty sessions.
In addition to spinal decompression therapy, those with spinal stenosis can also benefit from exercise. Depending on your flexibility, many would recommend Pilates, Yoga or perhaps a physical therapy driven routine. Exercises that pinpoint your back pain are key to the healing process. If you are still struggling, you may also want to ask your physician about medications. Cortisone shots give temporary relief in muscle spasms. Regardless of what you choose, there are many methods to tackle spinal stenosis. If we could reduce just some of the pain in our lives, living into our 100’s would certainly be a walk in the park.
