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Treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in New Jersey

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common cause of lower back and leg pain, also known as sciatica. When symptoms of this disease arise, it can cause discomfort that interferes with a patient’s daily living. Luckily, there are many noninvasive and surgical treatment options available to those experiencing pain.

If you have been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis and are looking to treat your pain using minimally invasive spine surgery, turn to our board-certified neurosurgeon and spine specialist, Branko Skovrlj, MD. With locations in Paramus, Woodbridge, Toms River, Jersey City, and Holmdel, NJ, NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute can provide treatment for those with lumbar spinal stenosis.

What Is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis occurs when space in the spinal canal is reduced. The spinal canal is where the spinal nerves and spinal cord are housed, so reduced space can put pressure on nerve roots and cause pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.

The spine is made up of bones stacked in a column from the tailbone to the skull. These bones are essential for protecting the spinal cord. The lumbar spine is the lower (or lumbar) part of the spine where vertebrae L1 through L5 exist. As people age, normal wear and tear can cause the spinal canal to narrow.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is seen in up to 95% of people over the age of 50, but most often appears in people over 60. Some patients are born with a smaller spinal canal, which can lead to pain. In this case, it is called congenital spinal stenosis. This condition occurs more frequently in men, and patients usually experience symptoms between ages 30 and 50.

What Are the Symptoms of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

Many people experience no symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis, even if they are born with congenital spinal stenosis. Symptoms tend to appear gradually over time in patients suffering from back pain. Signs of the disease include:

Burning pain going into the buttocks and down into the legs (sciatica)
Numbness, tingling, cramping, or weakness in the legs
Loss of sensation in the feet
Weakness in the foot that causes it to slip down when walking, also known as foot drop
Loss of sexual ability

Cases of severe lumbar spinal stenosis can cause other conditions to arise, such as cauda equina syndrome. This disease leads to symptoms like:

Loss of bowel or bladder control
Severe or increasing numbness between your legs, inner thighs, and the back of the legs
Severe pain and weakness that spreads into one or both legs, making it difficult to walk or get out of a chair

If you have cauda equina syndrome symptoms, you should seek medical attention right away.

What Causes Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

There are multiple causes of spinal stenosis, including:

Bone Spurs: The damage from arthritis can allow extra bone to grow on the spine. These are called bone spurs. Bone spurs push into the spinal canal, leading to painful symptoms. Paget’s disease also can cause additional bone matter growth on the spine.
Herniated Discs: Spinal discs are the soft cushions that act as shock absorbers between your spinal bones. If part of a disc’s soft inner material leaks out, it can press on the spinal cord or nerves.
Thick Ligaments: The strong cords that help hold the bones of your spine together can become stiff and thick over time. Thick ligaments can push into the spinal canal and cause uncomfortable pain.
Tumors: Rarely, tumors form inside the spinal canal. When they do, they can press against the spinal canal and vertebrae, causing pain. Sometimes, the pain can radiate to other parts of the body.
Spinal Injuries: Car accidents and other trauma can cause spinal bones to break or move out of place. Swelling of nearby tissue following back surgery also can pressurize the spinal cord or nerves, leading to pain and discomfort.

Some people may be living with lumbar spinal stenosis and not even know it. This is because it might not cause painful symptoms. Spine specialists may discover you have lumbar spinal stenosis while treating you for other back problems, such as:

Dealing with a lumbar spinal stenosis diagnosis can be challenging for some patients. To provide peace of mind, Dr. Skovrlj offers free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reviews for those who have already been tested. A second opinion can determine whether back pain is related to lumbar spinal stenosis or another lower back condition.

Treatments for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Both nonsurgical and surgical treatments are available to relieve patients of their lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms. Treatments include:

Nonsurgical Treatments

Nonsurgical treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis focus on relieving lower back pain and restoring function. Those include:

Physical therapy
Anti-inflammatory medications
Lumbar traction
Steroid injections
Acupuncture
Chiropractic manipulation

These treatments do not improve the narrowing of the spinal canal, but patients have reported feeling some relief from symptoms.

Surgical Treatments

Doctors and patients find that surgical treatments yield better results. NU-Spine uses minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat your lumbar spinal stenosis, such as:

Lumbar decompression: A minimally invasive treatment option that makes room for the nerves in the spinal column.
Laminectomy: Parts of the vertebrae (called lamina) are removed to open space for the nerves in the spinal column. This is the most common decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Dr. Skovrlj and his medical team conduct minimally invasive spinal surgeries to relieve back pain.

Minimally Invasive Surgery and Other Treatment Options

The team at NU-Spine specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, which can yield the same or better results than traditional spine surgery.

A minimally invasive spine surgery incision is about two centimeters long, where a small tube is inserted. The tube holds a small microscope, camera, and precision tools that surgeons use during the surgery. Minimally invasive techniques eliminate the need to cut through muscle and tissue to reach the surgical site.

The benefits of minimally invasive surgery include:

Quicker results
Decreased blood loss
Reduced muscle and nerve damage
Less bruising
Faster recovery time
Lower overall risk

Minimally invasive procedures by NU-Spine enable patients to go home on the same day in most cases.

If a patient requires more extensive surgery, there are other options to relieve symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis. These can include:

Spinal fusion: This option permanently fixes two or more vertebrae in place so the space between them is no longer compressed
Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(TLIF): This fusion uses a bone graft to replace the disc and bone that was removed
Lumbar foraminotomy: This is a kind of decompression used to enlarge the place where nerve roots branch off the spinal canal
Hemilaminectomy: This procedure eliminates the lamina of several vertebrae
Corpectomy: This surgery removes an entire vertebra
Spinal reconstruction surgery: A more radical surgery, reconstruction surgery works to rebuild parts of your spine if serious structural issues are causing lumbar stenosis

For patients requiring back surgery, speak with Dr. Skovrlj and the medical team at NU-Spine. We can assist you in finding a treatment that works best with your medical history and lifestyle.

Reach Out to NU-Spine to Schedule a Consultation

If you are experiencing lower back pain and think you may be suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute is here to help. The first step to a pain-free life is a consultation with board-certified neurosurgeon, Branko Skovrlj, MD. Specializing solely in spine treatments and equipped with innovative technology, Dr. Skovrlj uses minimally invasive surgical techniques that allow for less downtime for the patient. Patients can visit one of our offices in Paramus, Woodbridge, Toms River, Jersey City, and Holmdel, NJ. For more information, fill out the form below or contact us today.