By Kenneth A. Hood, DO
One of my patients recently woke up with severe spasms and excruciating pain in her right leg. Not knowing what type of doctor to call, she reached out to Excelsior Orthopaedics thinking we could help manage her pain. A few days later, a medical exam, X-ray, CT scan and MRI revealed that she had lumbar spinal stenosis.
According to the National Institutes of Health, degenerative spinal changes affect up to 95% of people by age 50, and for people over 65 undergoing spine surgery, lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common diagnosis. The condition involves a narrowing of the spinal canal, which compresses the nerves of the lower spine. This narrowing can be caused by arthritis, herniated discs, or thickened ligaments. The resulting compression, often referred to as pinched nerves, causes pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs and lower back, particularly when standing or walking. People with spinal stenosis often find that their symptoms improve with bending forward (such as when leaning over a shopping cart), or when sitting down, as these positions can alleviate pressure on the nerves.
Treatments for spinal stenosis include mild medications, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. Epidural injections can offer weeks or months of relief. If these treatments are ineffective, minimally invasive “spacer” surgery can be performed. The procedure involves placing small wedges between the bones in the back to relieve nerve pressure. It takes less than 30 minutes, and typically patients can go home within 24 hours. In some cases of spinal stenosis, a person may require spinal fusion when other treatments, including spacer surgery, fail to provide sufficient relief, or when there is significant instability in the spine that contributes to nerve compression, or when the stenosis is accompanied by severe degenerative changes or deformities in the spine.
Sadly, too many people I see suffer for years, believing that there are no options to alleviate their pain, particularly if they have tried treatments that did not work for them. However, there is nothing further from the truth. We’ve come a long way in helping people with spinal stenosis, including the ability to perform robotic-assisted spine surgery, an advanced technique that enhances precision, visualization, and efficiency of spinal procedures, while reducing radiation exposure. Robotic surgery is also helpful for patients with complex spinal conditions or deformities, because it allows for precise adjustments and corrections that may be challenging to achieve with traditional methods.
If your legs hurt when you walk and get better when you sit down or bend forward (over a shopping cart), you may be suffering from spinal stenosis. An MRI would help us determine this, and we may be able to help you.
Dr. Kenneth Hood is an orthopaedic surgeon at Excelsior Orthopaedics, specializing in care and surgery involving the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine. Dr. Hood focuses on minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, including robotic spinal fusions and complex spinal reconstructions. Visit www.excelsiorortho.com/doctor/kenneth-hood-do to learn more. To make an appointment with Dr. Hood, call 716-324-2739.
