Lumbar Stenosis?

Question

What is it? My dad apparently has it and he's going in at the end of the month to get surgery on it. Is it bad?

My dad's going into surgery next Tuesday, so, I'm hoping that it'll go alright...

Answer 1

Spinal stenosis is like the lime build-up on the inside of a garden hose. Over time, it narrows the diameter of the hose, just as spinal stenosis narrows the spinal canal.

no one wants to have surgery. This is not life threatening And most people do get helped by it. your father will probably feel bad for the first week after the surgery .

Surgery is reserved for that small percentage of patients whose pain cannot be relieved by nonsurgical treatment methods. Surgery will also be advised for those individuals who develop progressive leg weakness, or bowel and bladder problems.

Since spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the bony canal, the goal of the surgery is to open up the bony canal to improve available space for the nerves. This is called lumbar decompression surgery, or laminectomy.

Surgery, when necessary, will relieve the leg pain and less reliably, will relieve the back pain. Patients are allowed to return to most activities within weeks. Postoperative rehabilitation may be advised to assist in return to normal activities.

Please don't worry. Your father will come out feeling better after he recovers from the surgery.

Answer 2

Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal that may occur in any of the regions of the spine. This narrowing causes a restriction to the spinal canal, resulting in a neurological deficit.
If you want further information about spinal stenosis and a reliable treatment, I suggest you to visit a specialist in spinal stenosis . Reliable neurosurgeon in Palos Verdes. Get to know more how he can give you comprehensive treatments with the latest technology and enhanced skill.

Answer 3

Good question. Our bodies function as "closed kinetic chains". That means that the way we move in one area of our body will affect the way we move in other areas of our body. So normal motion patterns in the lumbar spine are good for producing normal motion patterns in the SI (sacroiliac) joints and vice versa. Conversely, abnormal movement patterns in the lumbar spine can cause abnormal movement patterns in the sacroiliac joints. Over time this can irritate the sacroiliac joints, leading to SI joint inflammation and pain. In spinal surgery, it may be necessary to implant a fixation device that changes the motion pattern in the lumbar spine, so it would stand to reason that this could have a unwanted effect in the SI joints. But here's a very important consideration - the spinal degeneration that leads to stenosis has already permanently altered the movement pattern in your lumbar spine. I'm sorry to tell you that. It is medically probable that the stenosis has already had some unwanted effects on your sacroiliac joints. Perhaps that is why you asked the question - you have (or have had) SI pain and the lumbar stenosis concurrently, and you are concerned that surgery for the stenosis might make you SI pain worse (or return). SI joint pain and low back pain are frequently found together. So your concern makes sense. However, there may be a greater concern. Depending on where the stenosis is (spinal level, affecting the intervertebral foremen or the spinal canal ) there may be no other option but surgery. The greatest risk posed by stenosis is it's potential effect on the central nervous system, causing loss of very important neurological functions. In the case that surgery is necessary, consult with you doctor regarding a rehab program that could reduce the potential for sacroiliac pain following the surgery. There are things that can be done. I'm listing a reference, but I did not use it in answering your question. I've only read the abstract, and I'm not sure if the full text article would further clarify this answer.

Answer 4

Oh how I envy your dad. He will do fine with the surgery. Another answer to your question offered detailed information which answers your question very well. I have spinal stenosis in the C-spine and am not too far off from surgery myself.

Answer 5

i have had stenosis surgery in the L3,4,5 area in 9/04. i am fused from L3,4,5 to S1. the only way i can describe it is if you think of the vertebrae as a slightly larger round steak bone. the spinal cord like the marrow. for some reasons, the bone is growing/closing in on the cord. this causes all sorts of pain/numbness and problems. the surgery will open up some room. i ain't gonig to lie. the recuperation was painful. had to be off work 8 months. totally worth it. the day of surgery i was in the operating room 6 hours. when my husband saw me for the first time afterward, he noticed my color was vrey much improved ( because the pain that was so bad before was gone) pain was now a pain that i knew would go away. day after surgery, they sat me up,put on brace,had me setting on edge of bed to wait for breakfast. the nurse came in, moved the bedside tray, rolled over my foot. i said ouch and started laughing. she asked what was wrong, i told her you ran my foot over. she looked at me fuuny and asked that hurt,why are you laughing? i told her that was the first time in over 10 years i felt anything in either foot. in 11/04 i was off of all m/s contine,neurontin, and in dec of that year,out of the back brace. your dad will do fine. just help him what you can, enourage him on his down days. please tell him i wish him results as great, a speedy recovery and i know with you there to care for him, he will have a great help.