Not just any exercise. What can work is Physical Therapy targeted at the cause of the spinal stenosis. You can find many medical clinic and surgeon websites that tell how the first treatment for stenosis and other back problems is PT, with or without careful use of NSAIDS. I have a detailed explanation of my own PT experience in the Neuropathy group, but I don't know how to transfer you to it. I'll repeat some of it here.

I have lumbar spinal stenosis, with lots of arthritis and herniated discs. In 2019 my specific symptoms were numbness, pins and needles, and tingling in my right foot and lower leg. That matched with the MRI showing compression on the L5 nerve on the right side; therefore, PT involved strengthening the core muscles to stabilize the spine. With less loose movement, there was less compression of the vertebrae on the nerve root where it exits the spinal column. After 8 weeks of PT (twice a week) and doing the exercises at home at least twice a week, the worst of the symptoms subsided. Another 4 weeks did not bring about any further reduction of symptoms and so I was discharged from PT. I have continued the exercises at home, about 3 times a week, and my condition has remained stable since then, on the RIGHT side.

This past January I began having nerve tingling and slight numbness on the LEFT side, starting at the top of the leg and flowing downward to about the middle of the left calf. The therapist identified tight muscles in my left buttock (this thanks to the rotation in my spine from scoliosis) as likely compressing the offending nerve, and he has been giving me a large variety of exercises to relax the tightness. It's been about a month, and this week I was delighted to realize that the symptoms have lessened. Again, the PT is twice a week, and then I also do the exercises at home twice a week.

To Lioness2001 and Barbfowler I would say this: find out what is causing your lower back pain BEFORE you even begin to think about fusion. Maybe an x-ray is needed, maybe an MRI. No matter what the images show, understand that doctors don't treat the pictures; they treat the symptoms as described by the patient. No matter how bad your back might LOOK, if the arthritic vertebrae and/or the herniated discs aren't causing an identifiable symptom (that is, identifiable by how YOU feel), there is probably no need for surgery.

Also keep in mind that most people have disc degeneration; another word for it is "aging." If I knew 20 years ago what I know now, I'd have started PT back then to retrain muscles, realign posture, etc.....and then maybe my spine wouldn't have become stenotic. I can't undo what's there, but (at age 75) I'm motivated to continue with an exercise regimen designed for MY specific physical conditions, in hopes of making it out of this life (20 more years?) without significant worsening of symptoms.

Hope at least some of this is helpful to the three of you.....

Hello @mayoandme and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can see you have already been joined by several members sharing their experiences such as @siltal2018 @pat75 @barbfowler and @lioness2001 since your originally posted.

How wonderful that you have found swimming to be one way to effectively minimize your pain, and thank you for sharing that for other members to consider.

Will you be seeking an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon as you mentioned?