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Spinal stenosis. Any recommendations?
Spine Health | Last Active: Aug 27 7:58pm | Replies (88)Comment receiving replies
Sounds like the root cause of your pain is not been diagnosed.
Stenosis is just a general term for narrowed spaces around the nerves and can have lots of causes and symptoms.
My non-surgical Dr, has always preached that imaging does not show pain.
Its really a giant puzzle to figure out and imaging just part of it.
You are just at the begining, there are a lot of different options.
If a fusion is mentioned to you please read this article, it is long but good.
https://tinyurl.com/4br244ps
I have been through all the shots, PT, Drugs, and MILD surgery and am unfortunately at the point of a 3 level fusion just a matter of what type, who does it and when.
The biggest thing that helps me is keep moving.
Heating pad helps me a lot some people use ice.
Good luck
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@jlssurplus Thanks for your insight. It seems that you have been through a lot and I’m sure it hasn’t been easy. I hope that your fusion is a success.
I read the article and it’s excellent. That site seems like a good resource.
Re my symptoms, my MRI L4-L5 seems to match my knee and shin symptoms. I believe that the doctor is sending me for the EMG to determine if it’s nerve irritation or nerve damage. I’m not sure about the match to my back pain or my right heel pain (I thought that was S1).
L4-L5: Disc bulge, facet arthropathy, and hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum cause moderate narrowing of the spinal canal. There is narrowing in the subarticular zones bilaterally, worse on the left, likely impinging upon the traversing L5 nerve roots. There is mild right and moderate left foraminal narrowing, which may impinge upon the exiting left L4 nerve root.
Some other levels show mild narrowing of the spinal canal, and mild bilateral foraminal narrowing.
I have been trying to keep moving, but I find that I have to sit or lay down quite often to relieve my knees and shins. I’m using both heat and ice.
I started physical therapy a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if it will help, but it’s worth a try. I’m concerned because the damage has been going on for years and just reared its ugly head.