If you have been diagnosed with LSS, read on to learn about how you might benefit from Vertos Medical: The Mild Procedure.
What Is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, abbreviated as LSS, is a medical condition that describes a narrowing of the spinal canal in one’s lower back. This can compress the nerves located in the lower back through to the legs, and put pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves that travel through the spine to the muscles. Spinal stenosis (spinal narrowing) can happen in any part of someone’s back, but most commonly affects the lumbar area, also known as the lower back. Symptoms of LSS include:
- Pain, numbness, or cramping in the legs
- Pressure in your back that you need to lean forward to relieve
- Difficulty walking long distances
- Loss of sensation in one’s feet
- Issues controlling the bladder or bowels in more severe cases
What Causes Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
The most common cause of LSS is osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis that occurs when the joints, or flexible tissue, cushioning the ends of bones wear down. The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is joint pain wherever there is wear-and-tear. When someone has osteoarthritis, it typically causes changes in people’s spines by the time they are 50, which results in LSS.
Several other conditions can cause Lumbar Spinal Stenosis as well, including:
- Injury to the spine
- Spinal tumor
- A previous surgery of the spine
- Certain bone diseases
- Rheumatoid arthritis
To prevent and lower your risk of LSS, it is recommended to get regular exercise, maintain good posture, and maintain a healthy weight. If you think you may have Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, your healthcare provider can diagnose you after x-rays of your lumbar spine, an imaging test, a bone scan, or an EMG (electrical test of muscular activity).
Patients with LSS can manage the pain from their condition with a heating pad, ice bag, hot shower, or massage. LSS can cause cauda equina syndrome, which is a serious condition that requires surgery to correct. CES is commonly caused by a massive herniated spinal disc in the lumbar region. Symptoms of CES include incontinence of the bladder or bowels, and sciatica, in which case someone should contact their doctor immediately.
How Is LSS Treated?
- Physical therapy. Guided exercises may be used to safely build strength in your back, legs, and stomach muscles.
- Medicines. These can include nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medicine to relieve pain and swelling, or steroid injections.
- Alternative medicine such as acupuncture.
- Chiropractic techniques.
- Surgery.
- Vertos Medical: The Mild Procedure.
What Is Vertos Medical?
Vertos Medical is a minimally-invasive treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in which the cause of stenosis is removed through an opening the size of a baby aspirin. This procedure requires no general anesthesia, no stitches, no implants, and no overnight hospital stay. For these reasons, it is called The Mild Procedure. Patients are expected to be able to stand longer and walk further with significantly less pain after space is restored in the spinal canal.
If you are living with chronic pain and find that it is affecting your enjoyment of day-to-day life, it may be time to seek treatment and pain management. For patients located in the East Stroudsburg, PA area, the experts at MVM Health would be glad to offer guidance and a variety of treatment methods for chronic pain. Call 223-213-2084 to request an appointment.
