Feeling crowded is never good. Think about squeezing into the train or wearing tight clothing. The same thing happens with your spine, except the result is pain and other difficult symptoms when it gets pinched.
Spinal stenosis is a condition that develops when your spinal canal narrows, and nerves get compressed, causing pain and other symptoms — typically in the neck and lower back. There’s also a link between the condition and arthritis that’s undeniable.
As a board-certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Benjamin Cohen expertly treats spinal stenosis using different approaches, depending on your situation, and does so with great care. He sees you as more than a set of symptoms to solve. Instead, he views and treats you as an individual, creating a treatment plan that meets your unique needs and delivers sustained relief from arthritis-driven spinal stenosis.
Now that you know what spinal stenosis is, you may wonder what causes it — and if you can avoid it. Many conditions contribute to spinal stenosis, including degenerative disc disease, bone spurs, and more.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that arthritis, which affects nearly a quarter of adults in the United States — or 58.5 million individuals — is by far the condition that’s most associated with the development of spinal stenosis.
The uncomfortable symptoms of spinal stenosis worsen as more inflammation occurs. In addition to neck (cervical) or lower back (lumbar) pain, you may also experience:
One of these symptoms would be enough to affect your quality of life significantly, but throw a couple more in the mix, and the discomfort can upend your life.
Osteoarthritis sufferers can often end up with spinal stenosis because of unique cause-and-effect connections between the two conditions:
If you’re diagnosed with arthritis-fueled spinal stenosis, there’s still hope and treatment available. Surgery is sometimes the best choice because your spinal cord desperately needs more living space.
When Dr. Cohen treats you, he typically starts with a conservative approach, recommending anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and steroid injections. He may also advise you to commit to spine-strengthening exercise that increases your mobility and offers relief from pain and other symptoms.
Unfortunately, not every patient gets the desired results unless they undergo a surgical procedure. Dr. Cohen performs several different procedures depending on your circumstances and symptoms, and each procedure has the same goal: to create more room in your spinal canal for your spinal cord and eliminate the pain caused by crowding. Surgical options include:
Whenever possible, Dr. Cohen performs minimally invasive surgical procedures that feature no cutting of muscles and require smaller incisions than traditional open surgery. Minimally invasive techniques are associated with faster healing and less pain, bleeding, and scarring.
Don’t let spinal stenosis halt your life. Seeking the best care with Dr. Cohen means you can have complete faith that his top priority is improving your comfort, mobility, and overall well-being.
Call our Garden City office at 516-246-5008 to make an in-office or telemedicine appointment with Dr. Cohen, or reach out to us online.
