I’ve been diagnosed with moderate to severe spinal stenosis. I’ve had a flare uo for abouth a month and not sure what to do. Been to the ortho and he said rest and I have. But my back seems to be getting worse!
Anybody have any suggestions, my ortho is talking injections.:eek:
Hope
Hi Zenyatta,
I’m sorry that you are hurting.
I have similar multi-level issues, from several rounds of fracturing my back in falls. In addition, I hyper-extended the S.I. joint ligaments and have pelvic instability. (This afternoon, I’m having the kyphoplasty to repair an acute fractured L-2. I don’t want “Dowager’s hump” or the squished discs that go with it.) There are more ways to deal with your stenosis now.
I’m giving the link to Dr. Friedlis’s website, as a way to bring you some of the new techniques/procedures. Dr, Friedlis is one of the greats in the field, and he is a horseman, so he understands us and even our language.
http://www.treatingpain.com/medstaff/mayofriedlis_MD.html
Please p.m. me if you would like to talk.
I also have the same back problem. The injections are wonderful…seriously!
Mine were done under fluoroscope. Had to do a round of PT first…ugh! Had two
about a month apart and another about 8 months later. It takes just a few minutes and have passed on the Verset. Have to take it easy for a couple of days
afterwards.
What type of injections? I have mild stenosis (I’m 22 - doesn’t impact me every day) but my older mother has pretty severe stenosis. We are looking for non surgical help. She has a very strong core, and ices her lower back almost daily to relieve the numbness that she gets in her feet.
She apparently isn’t eligible for sx because she doesn’t have “shooting” pains down her legs, instead she has numbness.
The kind of injection or other procedure is going to depend on what the diagnostic tests show. The exact location of the impinged nerves have to be located, before an effective treatment plan can be designed. I have already done another MRI as comparison to my previous ones. I expect that I’ll have nerve conduction tests as well.
If you look at the Friedlis site, there are very good descriptions of the new regenerative procedures, as well as other pain relief methods. The PRP has been very effective for me, and the BMAC has successfully been used in my family.
I’m thinking of my back injuries as needing a “back-lift” instead of a getting a “face-lift”. Which ways the various squashed discs and stenosis will be treated, I don’t know yet. But, I do know that I will be quickly out of pain and be able to control my legs and function as a rider and pick up my active farm life. My DH and I were given ballroom dancing lessons for Christmas by our kids. They checked with our doctors first, and they thought it was a great idea. So swing, blues, and tango are going to sizzle this Spring…
I think that “rest” is pretty much old information.
Do you know whether the stenosis is from arthritis or from a protruding disc or slipped vertebra? The treatment differs for each of these.
But the advice that is given for all of types of stenosis is stretch and exercise to get your back and abdominal muscles really strong. That way your muscles are more responsible for carrying your body weight instead of your spine. The more you “rest” the weaker your muscles become. In addition to ice, NSAIDs and even a TENS unit can be really helpful to deal with the pain.
I have had herniated discs and a slipped vertebra (called spondylolysthesis) and now the primary cause of my severe stenosis is osteoarthritis. I get regular epidural injections, without which I would not be able to be on my feet for more than 10 mins at a time.
So don’t be afraid of them–they really help. No need to suffer so much.
Good luck.
I have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis as well as a host of other health issues and i had hoped that riding was going to help me rehab. Admitedly I had put too much weight and was unrealistically optimistic in returning to riding as well as even enjoying it. Due to a series of bad trainers, scheduling conflicts and health issues am starting to think an alternative form of rehab is the way to go. The ten minutes of sheer enjoyment is being outweighed by the dark side of the equine industry and my health.
[QUOTE=andylover;6800565]
I have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis as well as a host of other health issues and i had hoped that riding was going to help me rehab. Admitedly I had put too much weight and was unrealistically optimistic in returning to riding as well as even enjoying it. Due to a series of bad trainers, scheduling conflicts and health issues am starting to think an alternative form of rehab is the way to go. The ten minutes of sheer enjoyment is being outweighed by the dark side of the equine industry and my health.[/QUOTE]
Doctors are telling me to take up water aerobics and other fitness activities in a heated swimming pool.
[QUOTE=Eclectic Horseman;6797009]
I have had herniated discs and a slipped vertebra (called spondylolysthesis) and now the primary cause of my severe stenosis is osteoarthritis. I get regular epidural injections, without which I would not be able to be on my feet for more than 10 mins at a time.
So don’t be afraid of them–they really help. No need to suffer so much.
Good luck.[/QUOTE]
This was me, up until September. The injections kept the surgeon at bay for about 6 years. I had a series of them (the first doctor I went to wasn’t injecting at the right level), and I was good for about three years. I also lost weight and got into the gym to get my core stronger.
Last September the L5-S1 disc finally gave up the ghost - ruptured completely and was leaning on my sciatic nerve. Most. Painful. Thing. Ever. Ended up having fusion surgery L4-S1 to clean out the stenosis/arthritis from the spondylolisthesis and stablize my lumbar spine. But that’s a whole other story…
Don’t be afraid of the injections, but be aware that eventually the stenosis may require surgical attention. There are great minimally-invasive procedures now.
I just had surgery for severe spinal stenosis on April 15. I wasn’t really in pain - but I was numb from the hips down - especially my feet. Was walking like a drunken sailor. They had to rule out demylinating diseases like MS. UGH Scariest 6 months of my life. I was dragging my right leg and lifting it by my jeans to get in the RAV4. I couldn’t pick my foot up higher than about 4 inches and that was a struggle. Mounting and dismounting my horse - ugh well…I had to have someone hold him for me and tell me my feet were out of the stirrups and sometimes take them out for me.
Post op I can lift my right foot up about 12-15" off of the ground. My legs aren’t near as numb but that will take a while as 2nd opinion doctor said my spinal cord was bruised.
My surgeon was a neuro doctor not an ortho. It may take me 3 to 6 months before I can ride but I plan on riding again.
Sorry you are having this - ours seems to be a little different as I wasn’t really in pain - I was just numb and walking like a drunk and stumbling all over the place. Lots of electrical shocks running down my body.
Hope you are better soon but the surgery while wasn’t something I want to repeat, I am so glad I had it.
