Those who suffer from this condition can not only have low back pain or neck pain, but also pain that occurs down the legs or arms. Some people with spinal stenosis have to lean forward to take pressure off their spine to walk. The classic symptom of stenosis is both hands or feet or both limbs, so it’s bilateral in the extremities.
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
The architecture of the spine creates holes and gives room for where the nerves come out. The holes should be big—there should be a lot of room where the nerves come out. There shouldn’t be any touching or inflammation around the nerves. Stenosis occurs when your body or spine is stressed.
That stress could be from poor posture, a car accident, a sports injury, or any other type of alignment stress that develops over time. The reaction your spine has when dealing with stress is to lay down more bone that secures the area of stress. That means the holes begin to get smaller, and the closing of those holes is called stenosis. There’s a soft nerve that exits, and sometimes the stenosis can inflame and irritate the nerve.
What to Expect
The first step is meeting with Dr. Dudum for a consultation. He’ll ask you about your history, whether the stenosis is chronic, and whether you’ve had any traumas, etc.
Here’s what you can expect next:
- A detailed exam to determine if there’s any nerve damage, the possible level of the stenosis, and if you have structural misalignments.
- A follow-up with either an X-ray or MRI image to get a clear-cut picture of what is the cause of the stenosis.
- Dr. Dudum can craft a treatment plan based on the consultation, examination and images to find out a program to help you.
Other Therapies We May Use
In addition to spinal decompression, cold laser therapy can be used to address spinal stenosis. With this condition, there’s a lot of inflammation in the spine that creates those holes to become smaller. Our Class I Multi Radiance Medical® cold laser therapy is excellent at decreasing a lot of the inflammation. It works by helping the damaged and inflamed cells create more energy and heal faster. If the cells are healing and there’s less inflammation and nerve pain, you can better manage discomfort related to spinal stenosis.
If you’re seeking an effective, non-surgical way to address your spinal stenosis, contact Dudum Chiropractic today to book an appointment.
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