In my last article on spinal stenosis, I discussed whether surgery is necessary. And no, in many cases it is not. I will, however, stress that catching a serious condition like this as soon as possible, is necessary. Like most serious medical conditions, waiting until the pain becomes unbearable, is in many cases, too late. Permanent nerve damage can occur. When seeking an alternative to surgery, it’s important to address it early on. This way, you’re not in a crisis. Spinal surgery works well for crises, but is not always necessary when a crisis is not present. I’ve had tremendous results treating mild, moderate, and severe cases of spinal stenosis with specific protocols that do not involve traditional chiropractic that most patients and doctors are familiar with.
Why Does The Body Cause The Spinal Canal To Get Smaller?
Bone spurs, or overgrowth of bone, herniated discs, thickening of ligaments, tumors, and spinal injuries can cause the spinal canal to become smaller. With conservative care, spurs, discs, ligaments, and some spinal injuries can be managed. Tumors are left to the specialist who removes those surgically or otherwise. Incontinence due to spinal stenosis is also cause for seeking a surgeon immediately.
Another painful condition happens when calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals can form within the spinal ligaments, vertebrae, and disc space, causing spinal stenosis. These inflammatory lesions can be very destructive to the joint and surrounding tissue. These can grow in different joints of the body, and is referred to as pseudo gout.
Again, catching this in the beginning stages, is necessary to slow down the process as long as possible.
Is There Down Time? If So How Long?
When treating spinal stenosis conservatively with specific protocols, there is usually a 2 week period when it’s important to follow all of my recommendations on doing certain activities. A re-evaluation will be done in 2 weeks after starting treatment, so we need to know exactly what you’re doing outside the office, in case I have to change my protocols at that point. Once re-evaluation is done, most patients are allowed to get back into the gym, and SLOWLY start adding activities back in to their lives. Of course every case is different, and in severe cases, this time frame will be longer. Natural anti-inflammatories are recommended, and non-inflammatory foods are suggested to help the body heal faster. Your healing time is affected by what you do outside of the office. It’s a team effort, as we work together to help your body heal and get your life back.
For those of you who’ve been in my consultation room, you’ve seen one of my favorite sayings on the wall. “ Pain is the last thing to appear, and the first thing to go away.” Pease don’t assume everything is fine if you don’t have pain, numbness or tingling YET. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Call my office today for a complimentary consultation and MRI or X-Ray review.
For questions regarding my articles, please email me at
Leisa-Marie Grgula, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician
Accurate Care Pain Relief Center
21043 N. Cave Creek Rd. #A9
Phoenix, AZ 85024
602-493-2228
www.CaringPainRelief.com
