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Narrowing of space in the spinal column is a painful condition which causes numbness or weakness in the legs. This condition is known as spinal stenosis. One may even experience pain in the arms and the shoulders. There are two dominant schools of thought on the causes of spinal stenosis. The first is that the condition is either inherent or congenital. The second is that the disease occurs due to a natural weakening of the bones and nerves as a result of old age.
Another major reason which contributes to spinal stenosis is osteoarthritis (an arthritic condition). There are other miscellaneous causes of spinal stenosis such as herniated discs, spine tumors and ligament changes. The condition can also be the result of accident or injury to the spine.
Now let us proceed to the vital point of our discussion which is spinal stenosis surgery. It would be worthwhile mentioning here that there are a lot of other viable options also. Non-steroidal anti -inflammatory steroids and analgesics can be very effective. Physical exercises like yoga, aerobics, jogging and stretching exercises carried out under the guidance of a qualified physiotherapist or doctor can also work wonders. Only if the above mentioned options do not work, consider surgery. Yes, consider spinal stenosis surgery only as the last resort.
A lot of other factors have to be taken into consideration when considering surgery. Preference of the patient, response to the non -surgical medications and severity of the condition are important factors which have to be accounted for and evaluated. Surgery is mainly considered when there is difficulty in walking, improper functioning of the bowel and the bladder. The main purpose of the surgery is to remove the pain and help restore strength and vitality to the spinal cord. The most common of the spinal stenosis surgery is the decompressive laminectomy. In most cases the condition is corrected and the patient makes a complete recovery.
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