Severe Stenosis in Lumbar Region

I'm sorry that you are having to go through this but if you have had several consultations with more than 1 either Neuro or Ortho spine surgeon, & they are singing the same song, well you need to ask yourself if you want to be able to function with less pain 10 years from now. I'm 7 years post L4-S1 TLiff fusion, and I can do about whatever I want to st 62. But, I do exercise daily, eat smart, and stretch a lot. Post surgery, yes there will be some pain but mostly from the procedure itself. If all goes well, they will have you up & walking within a day after. Get you some good, cushioned, slip on walking shoes & have a grab bar installed both in your shower and near your toilet. Get a portable toilet support from Walmart, and do your best to empty out your digestive system days before surgery. This is because the meds they put you under with can cause constipation. Wishing you the best!

I've a triplet of bulges in my lumbar. Severe/extreme sciatica.

Last February I was at a 8.5-9 out of ten on a pain scale, and could not walk down half the driveway for the newspaper.

PHYSICAL THERAPY has me walking 870 ft in a 6-minute 'endurance', and pain hovers between 3 and 4.

Yeah, it took a long time, but I am 70, and THOROUGH more so than rapid. AND I did and still do MY 'homework'/'gym' work - stretches, steps, hurdles, tandem pace (heel to toe steps) and other balance work...

Oh, and the only meds are gaba, Cymbalta - prescribed by a past psychiatrist, and acknowledged by two more since for my depression. And I am in the State of Arizona's Health Department Medical Marijuana program.

In the near future, I’m supposed to have surgery to correct my severe spinal stenosis + have lumbar spinal fusion on my L3 & L4 and my L4 & L5. Currently taking Gabapentin 3X daily. Has anyone had this surgery & how was your recovery experience? Thank you for any encouragement, advice, information, etc. you can offer.

Hi, I’m interested to read what comments you receive , I’m in the same situation , but quite wary of having surgery . Let me ask you please , mine is ok during the day I can manage quite well L but sleeping is horrible , I have tried many cervical pillows , wedges and cat , yo no avail, how do you manage .

I am in the same situation, just got my diagnosis and start this journey as well.
I would like to follow and hear advices,
Thank you.

In August 2023 I had a Laminectomy and double spinal fusion. I was 71. Nine months later I am dealing with several issues, foot drop ( which I fell on in Dec. and fractured) torso pain which was inflammatory in nature due to trauma of the surgery ( Celebrex helped relieve that) and now opposite side pain that stretches down from lower back/ butt/ thigh which doc says is tendinitis. I had been on Gabapentin the first 5 months but it really didn’t get rid of the shock like nerve pain that still radiated down into my calf/ foot. So I started Lyrica and this did help relieve that nerve pain. Now I take Tylenol only. I still have pain, mostly during sleep and in the morning until my body wakes up. Something about my body being compressed while laying down aggravates things. Just recently my surgeon thinks he sees loosening of the screws in the hardware in my back. That is scary. My bones are not of a 25 year old. I had to have this surgery though. I was developing drop foot which impeded normal walking and the vertebra had shifted and was pressing on the nerve root. L4 L5. S1. I hope this helps. Everyone is different. We all have various issues and age/ gender plays a role. I use trek pokes to walk outdoors. I’m unsteady but I hate the orthotic brace that was made for me. Biggest advice: walk walk walk after surgery.

Everyone’s experience is different. At age 73 I had a multi- level laminectomy and L4-L5 fusion September 2022.. I recovered well with minor residuals including leg weakness and foot numbness. My advice is get multiple surgical opinions from reputable neurosurgeons, take pain pills after surgery as long as you need them, follow the no BLT instructions, follow PT instructions and diligently to your exercises ( I still do) and have realistic expectations on recovery- it takes 9-12 months for a full recovery. Good luck.

@draw @sueholdenf @rainerhans
I am 54 and have severe congenital cervical and lumbar stenosis, degenerative disc disease, cervical spondylitic myelopathy (spinal cord flattening/conpression), radiculopathy, small fiber neuropathy, sciatica, etc. I had ACDF surgery on my c5c6 to relieve pressure and injury to my spinal cord. It helped recover better control of my bladder, arms/hands, and ability to walk without feeling like I was wearing cement boots. I am delaying having lumbar surgery l3l4l5s1 as long as possible and my doctor agrees. I have significant pain/numbness/weakness in my lower back, hips, buttocks, legs and feet and get spinal injections to help with pain (they work for me but not everyone…really depends on doctor injecting in the right spot), use lidocaine pain patches (like Salonpas brand), and use capsaicin nerve pain creams. I cannot sit, stand or walk for long due to pain and weakness. Moving positions in bed is difficult and I do use cervical pillow, pillows between knees, etc. I have hurt myself while moving in bed and need to be careful not to twist my spine too much. I use on Tylenol now due to NSAIDs causing gastritis/esophagitis. I started taking a low dose of Gabapentin at night (100 mg) for nerve pain. I also take antidepressant Bupropion to help with depression due to chronic pain and health decline. Strengthening your core and stretching has helped me manage pain (have done Miranda Esmonde White’s Classical Stretch/Essentrics videos which are helpful for those needing floor options to start exercising gradually). My doctor who has done my spine injections told me that many who get lumbar spine surgery still deal with pain and need injections so surgery may not resolve all problems and could introduce new problems. If you have other options to manage your condition to delay surgery, you may want to explore them fully. Get updated EMGs, MRN, nerve conduction studies, MRIs to narrow down the exact locations of spinal cord or nerve root compression and if PT/injections would help delay surgery as long as possible.

Thank you so much for your information.
While engaged in home workout with bands slightly over head felt something in my cervical neck area. I stopped my routine, the next day had stiffness/soreness into both harms.
Finally after dealing with symptoms for a few months doctor agreed to to MRI.
Findings, moderate/severe cervical stenosis, the good news is spinal canal is not compressed.
The issue is the openings were the nerves come through, not enough room, this is whats creating my symptoms.
Symptoms: Loss of strength/grip,
headaches created by cervical strain (I believe). But my biggest concern (and you touched on it) dizziness, clumsiness (the cement shoes affect).
My primary doctor tells me the dizziness is not being created by cervical stenosis! I know the symptoms came at the same time and I feel 99% sure these are related.
My Routine daily consists of stretching, including using a peanut to get my neck moving and it also stretch's the area, rolling out entire back with hard foam roller.
Chore strengthening, followed by 40 minutes on elliptical with free weights or bands for strength.
Would consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting your routine.
One last recommendation, I get 1-2 massage treatments a month and they seem to help me with the pressure in neck and head.
Hope this can help anyone dealing with similar situation.
OlyT