Spinal Stenosis

Up to 95% of adults in the United States experience degenerative changes in their spine by age 50 that increase their risk for spinal stenosis. At DFW Spine Joint & Pain, Nikki Fox, DO, and Amy Gregor, NP, offer comprehensive care for spinal stenosis symptoms like back pain and neck pain. The providers use diagnostic tests to evaluate the severity of spinal stenosis and customize a treatment plan to provide long-lasting pain relief. Call the office in Fort Worth, Texas, to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for spinal stenosis, or book an appointment online today.

What is spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis describes a narrowing of your spine. The condition can occur due to age-related changes in your spine, herniated discs, a thickening of the spinal ligaments, or spine injuries.

When your spine narrows, it can put pressure on your spinal cord it occurs in the neck, or impinge the nerves where they exit your spinal canal. The pressure can lead to tingling, pain, and other symptoms that affect your neck, back, or limbs.

When should I seek treatment for spinal stenosis?

You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at DFW Spine Joint & Pain if you have symptoms of spinal stenosis that you can’t manage on your own.

Spinal stenosis may not cause any symptoms in the early stages, but as the condition worsens, you may experience:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• Limb weakness
• Persistent back or neck pain
• Difficulties with balance and walking

If left untreated, spinal stenosis can lead to weakness, bowel or bladder problems, and possibly permanent nerve damage. 

DFW Spine Joint & Pain offers diagnostic imaging tests to evaluate your spine health. Testing provides details about the severity of your spinal stenosis, so the providers can determine which treatment is right for you.

How is spinal stenosis treated?

Your treatment plan for spinal stenosis depends on many factors, including your age, the severity of your symptoms, and the areas of your body the condition affects.

DFW Spine Joint & Pain offers several non-surgical therapies to relieve spinal stenosis symptoms, including:

Medications:  Over-the-counter medications can relieve the inflammation that triggers pain. There are also prescription-strength medications to keep spinal stenosis pain well-controlled.

The providers offer medication management services to ensure you’re taking the right medications at the most effective dosages. 

Epidural steroid injections: Epidural steroid injections deliver an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication directly into the epidural space of your spine to provide pain relief.

Radiofrequency ablation: Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to destroy nerves of joints that may be contributing to pain symptoms. This treatment prevents pain signals from traveling from the nerve to your brain.

Spinal cord stimulation: When other strategies don’t provide pain relief from spinal stenosis, you may be a candidate for spinal cord stimulation. The treatment requires a minimally invasive surgery to implant a device that delivers electrical currents of energy to disrupt pain signals. You control the stimulator with an external remote whenever you have pain.

Call DFW Spine Joint & Pain to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for spinal stenosis, or book an appointment online today.