The reason why walking is so painful with spinal stenosis is because of the narrowing of your spinal canal in spinal stenosis can compress your spinal cord and nerves, especially your sciatic nerve which leads to numbness pain and tingling as well as weakness in your feet and legs.
When standing or walking the pressure increases as these positions compress your spinal canal and exacerbate the nerve compression.
The best pain medication for spinal stenosis is naproxen and ibuprofen which can also help with inflammation and pain.
And muscle relaxants like methocarbamol and cyclobenzaprine are also good for spinal stenosis and even gabapentin, pregabalin can also be prescribed for spinal stenosis.
Muscle relaxers help with spinal stenosis as muscle relaxers work by reducing muscle tightness and muscle spasms, which can contribute to pain and discomfort associated with spinal stenosis.
Muscle relaxers can also help improve your mobility and range of motion.
Commonly prescribed muscle relaxers for spinal stenosis are Flexeril also known as cyclobenzaprine, Lioresal also known as Baclofen and Valium also known as Diazepam.
A heating pad is also good for spinal stenosis as the heat from a heating pad can help to dilate blood vessels and improve circulation to the affected area and promote healing and by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow the heat from the heating pad can help reduce pain and stiffness.
The heat from a hot shower can also help spinal stenosis by relaxing the muscles and increasing blood flow which can also reduce the pain and stiffness from spinal stenosis.
The heat from the hot water in the hot shower can loosen and relax tight muscles in your back, which can become tense due to spinal stenosis.
The heat from the hot shower water can also dilate blood vessels and improve circulation to the affected area and promote healing and by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow, the heat can also help to alleviate pain and stiffness associated with spinal stenosis and the relaxed muscles and reduced pain can allow for a greater range of motion and improved mobility.
Gabapentin can also help spinal stenosis.
Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medication which is also used to treat neuropathic pain, which also includes pain caused by spinal stenosis.
Gabapentin works by blocking the transmission of the pain signals on your spinal cord.
The newest treatment for spinal stenosis is a Total Posterior Spine System which is a facet joint replacement device which preserves motion and also stabilizes your spine and offers an alternative to traditional spinal fusion surgery which limits movement.
Other treatment options for spinal stenosis include stem cell therapy and other minimally invasive procedures such as interspinous spacers which create space within your spinal canal to relieve nerve pressure.
With spinal stenosis you should avoid high impact activities such as running, contact sports, jumping, heavy lifting, or other things that put stress on your spine.
The final stages of spinal stenosis is usually characterized by leg pain that can get more severe when walking.
If you have lumbar spinal stenosis, you may have trouble walking distances or find that you need to lean forward to relieve pressure on your lower back.
You may also have pain or numbness in your legs.
In more severe cases, you may have difficulty controlling your bowel and bladder.
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine.
Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck.
Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms.
Spinal stenosis is caused by gradual narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in painful pressure and compression on the spinal cord and nerves.
While spinal stenosis is not a serious condition in the initial stages, it can lead to serious and permanent damage if it becomes advanced or remains untreated.
The most common cause of spinal stenosis is osteoarthritis, the gradual wear and tear that happens to your joints over time.
Spinal stenosis is common because osteoarthritis begins to cause changes in most people's spines by age 50.
That's why most people who develop symptoms of spinal stenosis are 50 or older.
The goals of surgery include relieving the pressure on your spinal cord or nerve roots by creating more space within the spinal canal.
Surgery to decompress the area of stenosis is the most definitive way to try to resolve symptoms of spinal stenosis.
Spinal Stenosis pain often manifests as a feeling of numbness, weakness, a tingling sensation, or the loss of control over bladder/bowel functions.
The pain experienced as a side effect of spinal stenosis can range from mild to excruciatingly severe.
Urinary incontinence can be a result of spinal stenosis or other back issues.