Do I Need Spinal Stenosis Non-Surgical Treatment?
The spinal canal contains the spinal cord, and when this canal narrows, it’s known as spinal stenosis. This narrowing of the spinal canal puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, causing pain, weakness or numbness. Receiving non-surgical treatment for spinal stenosis as soon as possible may prevent worsening of the condition and the accompanying extended pain.
This most often affects people over the age of 50 and is caused by age-related changes, frequently affecting the lower back or neck. There’s no cure for spinal stenosis, but non-surgical treatment for spinal stenosis relieves associated symptoms.
Regenerative therapies such as stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP) are innovative options in non-surgical spinal stenosis treatment. When you’re looking for non-surgical treatment for spinal stenosis in NYC, the best choice is Dr. Leon Reyfman and his team of interventional pain physicians who have extensive experience in relieving chronic pain using cutting edge regenerative medicine procedures.
What Causes Spinal Stenosis?
Wear and tear cause changes in the spine over a period of time as you age and these changes contribute to narrowing of the spinal canal. Common changes include:
- Ligaments that keep the vertebrae in place calcify and thicken, pushing into the spinal canal.
- Extra bone tissue grows on the spine, which is known as bone spurs.
- The center of a disc bulges and puts pressure on the spine or a nerve, called a herniated disc.
- A fall or other trauma causes vertebrae to move out of place and put pressure on nerves in the spinal cord.
- Spinal tumors or cysts are a rare cause of narrowing of the spinal canal.
Spinal stenosis that occurs from the aging process usually affects the lower back or neck. While most spinal stenosis is related to aging, congenital spinal stenosis sometimes affects babies and children. Spinal stenosis non-surgical treatment starts with conservative methods such as medication, rest, physical therapy and steroid injections.
At one time, if this approach to spinal stenosis treatment was unsuccessful, the only other option was surgery. Fortunately, new developments in regenerative spine, joint and nerve treatments have been made that stimulate the body’s natural healing processes and offer a non-surgical alternative.
How Does Spinal Stenosis Non-Surgical Treatment Relieve Painful Symptoms?
Regenerative spine treatments relieve symptoms by reducing inflammation and repairing degenerated spinal tissues. Examples of regenerative therapies that may be used as non-surgical spinal stenosis treatment and treatment of other conditions causing chronic pain include:
- Stem cell therapy for the spine, joints and nerves. For stem cell therapy, your own stem cells are harvested from your bone marrow or fat tissue. Stem cells differentiate into other types of cells such as cartilage, bone or nerve tissues, promoting the regeneration of damaged cells and tissues.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for spinal problems, joints and nerves. For PRP therapy, your own blood is drawn and processed to extract platelets, which contain growth factors that are important for healing. The result is plasma that’s high in platelets, which are injected into the spine to relieve chronic back pain from conditions like degenerative disc disease, spine arthritis and herniated discs.
- Prolotherapy. This type of treatment involves injecting an irritant into the area causing pain, enhancing the body’s own healing response, potentially reducing inflammation and strengthening ligaments.
Regenerative therapies aim to address the root cause of degeneration and promote healing rather than only relieving symptoms. Treatment with regenerative medicine offers promising options for people who have a reduced quality of life due to chronic pain.
What Are Benefits of Non-Surgical Spinal Stenosis Treatment with Regenerative Therapies?
Regenerative therapies have several benefits for people who wish to avoid surgery and aren’t getting relief from a traditional approach to treatment. Benefits include:
- Minimally invasive. Treatment with regenerative medicine is minimally invasive and done on an outpatient basis. This greatly reduces risks associated with surgery and reduces the amount of down time after treatment.
- Reduces pain and inflammation. Spinal stenosis causes debilitating pain, but regenerative therapies enhance the body’s ability to regenerate tissues and reduce pain.
- Improved functioning.Treatment may restore functioning such as mobility or flexibility.
- Reduced dependence on medication.When pain and inflammation are reduced, the need for medication decreases or may be entirely eliminated.
- Low risk of adverse reactions.Since your own blood or tissue is used in these types of treatments, your body won’t have an allergic reaction or reject the treatment.
Regenerative medicine encourages the growth of new, healthy tissue, which addresses the underlying cause of spinal stenosis instead of just masking symptoms. By stimulating the natural healing process, there’s potential for long term relief.
What Happens if Spinal Stenosis Is Left Untreated?
Since narrowing of the spinal canal is affected by the aging process, untreated spinal stenosis continues to get worse over time. If you try to ignore this condition, you may experience:
- Worsening pain
- Decreased mobility
- Increased numbness and weakness
- Inability to stand or perform daily activities
- Reduced bowel and bladder control
If you’re discouraged by non-surgical spinal stenosis treatment that hasn’t worked for you up to now, don’t give up on getting treated. If you’re in overall good health and have mild to moderate spinal stenosis, you may be a good candidate for treatment with spinal stenosis non-surgical treatment. Contact Stem Cell Therapy NYC today and find out what non-surgical spinal stenosis treatment can do for you.
