Does anyone have Spinal Stenosis that is extremely bad at wake up?

Has anyone considered
Extra oral shock wave therapy , PRP injections or the use of red light therapy ?

Extracorpeal shock wave therapy

Sorry for this late reply. Yeah my lower back has it all - stenosis, scoliosis, listhesis, degenerative discs and arthritic spurs.

My surgeon tells me my core muscles are supporting my lumbar spine very well. At age 70, I am very active at the gym and will do almost anything to avoid fusion surgery.

About 10 years ago, I had laminotomies at S1/L5/L4. The surgery doesn't take long. The surgeon drills holes in the back of each vertebrae. In my case, he also had to remove a ruptured disc fragment from S1/L5. That surgery also provides more room for the sciatic nerve, as it creates more space, necessary due to stenosis.

You might want to check that out. One advantage is that it maintains the structural integrity of the vertebrae (versus a laminectomy, where a lot more bone is removed and the structure is weakened). It's a trade off, Anyway, I've been very happy with the laminotomies and the pain relief. And so far, I've been able to avoid fusion surgery.

I hope this helps. Finally, I would only use ice on the lower back. A warm/hot shower just feels good in the morning, but heat can increase inflammation, which can lead to pain. Maybe try putting a bag of frozen peas on your lower back during the day.

Joe

Hello...l am sorry you are having to go through this. Has anyone suggested a M.I.L.D. procedure to be done? I had this Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression done last July, and that area has since been pain free. I would heartily recommend this as an option for you.

Looking out for you the best way I know how with my story and prayers, I am Susan

As a DES Daughter, I have spinal stenosis, and my back is painful and tight each morning

@loriesco
25 years?! is a long time. I am relying on the surgeon to know where to insert those needles. The last appointment was very painful and I was sure I wouldn’t be going back for another treatment, however, as time passes that pinching is coming back. I don’t have the lightening seizure pain jolts down my legs and my feet are not as numb, so I guess this is progress. I’m not sure how to figure out which facet joints are bothering me. How did you figure this out?
Did you have to take medication before the RFA? I asked for a dose of lorazepam this time round, to calm the anxiety. My appt. is next week.
I’m hoping I will not need a Laminectomy , but we will see.
Agree about heat and books!
We soldier on, that is for sure. Thanks for your reply. 🙏🌅

@alicemae probably 25 years ago I was younger and more in shape and things weren’t as as painful. I do know that my doctor only did three levels on two sides or six levels on one side at a time and so I had to go back quite a few times for diagnostic purposes for them to figure out where they were gonna do the RFA. It was extremely helpful and it worked really well until it got a few years out from the time where I needed lumbar surgery and my back pain wouldn’t abate. But also my nerves were compressed such that the weight of my vertebrae, crushed the nerve roots and I ended up not having any pain, but that wasn’t a good thing. It is always best to see an orthopedic surgeon and to be under a care of an orthopedic surgeon so when the time is right for surgery, you trust that the proper decision is being made. As far as the pain for the RFA’s initially I wouldn’t miss a beat and I’d go walk the dog afterwards. Later on I was so compromised that it took me a couple days to get back in the swing of things. I was very achy at the injection site. As far as pain when you were on the table ask them to use twilight sleep method. That’s what they do for me and I feel no pain. They use that twilight sleep stuff and then they inject some numbing medicine and only then after they inject the needles to do the work. I just did a Cortizone injection and it only lasted a week so it’s back to the pain medicine for me. I also find when I exercise more I sleep deeper and that lessons my sense of pain. Sometimes I even sleep so relaxed and so deeply that I’ll have a rare morning where I wake up with no pain because I’ve slept so deep deeply and relaxed my muscles. Which makes me believe that a lot of this I bring on myself from not relaxing enough! PS when those lightning paint bolt stopped when I would reach. My nerves were completely crushed in my lumbar spine, and my vertebrae bone had grown together the disc falling completely out. It was nice to be without the pain, but I was taking immediately into surgery by the new orthopedic surgeon I had found at the time and it was too late to save some of the nerves. If those lightning bolt Joel have stopped in your spine I suggest you get to see a good orthopedic surgeon sooner rather than later!

Sorry for getting your name wrong on my first comment jtw (not btw).....

It's good that you work on your core, and hey, we can all do more! One of my favorites is a simple glute bridge. Lie on your back, knees bent, and raise your torso as high as you can. Do 10 slow reps, and on the 11th, hold for 30 seconds. This is great for the glutes and lower back.

And a very simple sit up/ab workout starts the same, lying on your back, knees bent. Extend your arms straight out - reach for the sky or ceiling. Then raise your torso and focus on hinging from your waist. You'll only go up a little, but you should feel the tension in your abs. Repeat 10 times, less or more depending on comfort.

These are two easy-to-do exercises that will help your core, front and back.

All the best!

Joe

Hi Dallas,

Stenosis is a drag. Does it press on your sciatic nerve? You'd notice pain in the back of your legs, buttocks if this is the case. Sounds like you have pretty typical morning stiffness but no leg pain.

Take a look at my comment to jtw on exercises to strengthen the core. These will help your back.

My stenosis got so bad that I had laminotomies on S1/L5/L4 - the surgeon drilled a hole in the back of each vertebra, allowing more space for the sciatic nerve. Simple surgery, doesn't compromise the integrity of the vertebrae. It was either this or fusion, and I didn't want fusion. That was over 10 years ago and still feels good (although my lower back is stiff and sore after sitting too long). There are stretches you can do for the lower back and can just search for them on Google. Ice, not heat, helps as well. I never put heat on my lower back. Feels good but increases inflammation in its wake.

All the best to you!

Joe

I have spinal stenosis (and have herniated discs about 4x now). I bought a candy cane-shaped pillow earlier this year from MedCline and it has helped me find some comfort at night. It supports different sleeping positions.

I also find a gentle stretch before bed helps reduce nighttime/waking pain. The two stretches that I tend to do are reaching for my feet (but let gravity do the stretching) and a deep squat (think of what you see many Asian cultures do). I don't often take oral painkillers, but do find that the topical cream, Voltaren (or the Rx version) helps. Insurance may not cover it for this purpose, but you can look for it in the stores under the name Voltaren. You may also want to reconsider your mattress as it being too soft or too firm can also be problematic. I find keeping my spine straight (no curving side-to-side) relieves the pain.