![]() You may be able to control the pain with over-the-counter pain medicines or with hot or cold packs. Most people are advised to try other treatments first before resorting to surgery. Sometimes it also involves a fusion (joining 2 bones together). This operation removes part of the vertebra (spinal bone), along with some ligaments, to create space and take the pressure off the nerves. If you are very disabled by the symptoms or other treatments don’t work, surgery called a laminectomy may be an option. Some people use devices such as a corset or a brace, or are recommended injections of steroids into the back to reduce pain and inflammation. Losing weight if necessary can help, as can exercise to strengthen muscles and improve endurance. Your doctor may recommend medicines to reduced pain, inflammation and swelling, and physiotherapy to build up your strength, flexibility and balance. Spinal stenosis is usually diagnosed using an x-ray, MRI or CT scan. It can also happen at the top of the spine (called a cervical stenosis). The most common form of spinal stenosis is in the lower back (called a lumbar stenosis). Spinal stenosis can also be caused when a thickened ligament bulges into the spinal cord, by a tumour, or by an injury to the back. Spinal stenosis can happen after a disc prolapse (a ‘slipped disc’, or a problem with the spongy discs between the bones of the spine). Some people are born with a narrowed spinal canal, which puts them at greater risk. Spinal stenosis is usually caused by arthritis, most often after the age of 50.
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