I also have both spinal and lumbar stenosis. My pain doctor has given me a steroid shot and it worked on what hap been my worst side. But I discovered that much of my pain on the other side is from a no longer functional right knee. So I am now days away from having a knee replacement.

In the meantime, after waiting a long time for an appointment, I finally had one with my neurosurgeon of choice but we agreed that we needed to see what was happening, pain wise, after my knee was replaced. So I have another appointment with him in November.

My neurosurgeon has written the book on minimally invasive spinal and lumbar surgery and has done many such surgeries. I cannot stress enough finding a really skilled surgeon who has done many operations in the same manner as yours. I have been wary of surgery although I am more afraid of the anesthesia than the actual surgery.

They have come a long way from the old days of back surgery. But anyway you can avoid it is good.