Spinal Stenosis Specialist
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Neurosurgical Solutions
Neurosurgeons located in Savannah, GA
Spinal stenosis develops over the years, as changes occur in your spine that place pressure on delicate spinal nerves. The resulting pain can be debilitating and affect your mobility. Board-certified neurosurgeon Randolph Bishop, MD, Kelli Hendley, FNP, and the team at Neurosurgical Solutions offer comprehensive care for spinal stenosis. The team provides a range of treatments that target your individual needs. To get relief from back or neck pain, call the office in Savannah, Georgia, or request an appointment online today.
Spinal Stenosis Q & A
What causes spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis occurs when the bony spaces in your spine start to narrow. This narrowing may occur in the spinal canal that protects the spinal cord, or in the foramen (openings in the vertebrae) where nerves exit and re-enter the spinal cord.
Though the spinal canal can narrow if you suffer a traumatic injury, the narrowing of spinal stenosis is most often caused by conditions such as:
- Herniated discs
- Bone spurs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Enlarged facet joints
- Thickened ligaments
- Slipped vertebra
A slipped vertebra throws the spine out of alignment, which leads to spinal stenosis. The other conditions cause narrowing when they protrude into the spinal canal or foramen.
What symptoms occur if I have spinal stenosis?
You develop symptoms as the narrowed openings pinch the nearby spinal nerves. As a result, you may experience:
- Pain in your back or neck
- Pain radiating down your legs or arms
- Tingling or numbness in your legs or arms
- Muscle weakness in your legs or arms
- Leg cramps
- Hand weakness
- Difficulty walking
Spinal stenosis can affect your neck, but it most often occurs in the lower back.
How is spinal stenosis treated?
Your initial treatment begins with physical therapy, medication to relieve pain or relax muscles, and limiting activities that cause pain. If these conservative measures don’t help or your symptoms get worse, you may need one or more of the following:
Spinal injections
Dr. Bishop may recommend an epidural steroid or facet joint injection to reduce nerve inflammation.
Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation uses mild electrical pulses to stop pain signals from traveling through the spinal nerves. This prevents your brain from getting the pain message, which in turn can significantly reduce your pain.
Minimally invasive spinal surgery
The goal of surgery is to take the pressure off the nerves and give them time to heal. Dr. Bishop may perform a laminectomy, laminoplasty, or foraminotomy to decompress the nerves by removing small pieces of the vertebrae.
When a damaged disc causes spinal stenosis, he performs a discectomy to remove the disc. These procedures are followed by a spinal fusion to restore strength and stability to your spine.
To learn more about your treatment options for spinal stenosis, call Neurosurgical Solutions or book an appointment online today.
