Spinal Stenosis

Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI)

Neurological Surgery & Neurointerventional Surgeons located in Pomona, CA & Arcadia, CA

If there isn't enough space for the nerves in your spinal canal, the pressure could result in pain, numbness or tingling, and loss of function. If you're experiencing these symptoms of spinal stenosis, the experienced spine surgeons at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) in Pomona and Arcadia, California, can help. They specialize in minimally invasive techniques that resolve the cause of your spinal stenosis when other treatments are proving ineffective. To find out how you can take advantage of Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) team's superior skills, call their office or request an appointment online today.

Spinal Stenosis Q & A

What is spinal stenosis?

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Spinal stenosis is a condition that frequently causes back pain due to the spinal canal getting narrower. This could result from an injury to your spine, but in most cases, it’s due to conditions like:

Degenerative disc disease
Herniated discs
Facet joint arthritis
Bone spurs
Thickened ligaments
Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra)

These problems typically develop from a combination of aging and wear-and-tear on the discs and vertebrae that make up your spine. Even a small degree of narrowing can put pressure on the nerves running through your spinal canal, leading to symptoms of spinal stenosis.

What symptoms might spinal stenosis cause?

Spinal stenosis symptoms develop because of nerve compression, so they vary depending on which nerves are affected. Common spinal stenosis symptoms include neck or back pain that often radiates from your spine to your limbs.

Cervical stenosis in your neck affects your arms, while lumbar stenosis in your lower back affects your legs. You might also experience weakness, tingling, or numbness in your arms or legs, and severe spinal stenosis can cause mobility issues.

Your provider at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) can diagnose the cause of your spinal stenosis after reviewing your medical history and symptoms, carrying out a physical examination, and looking at X-rays, an MRI, or other diagnostic imaging test results.

How is spinal stenosis treated?

Initial approaches to treating spinal stenosis are nonsurgical, and could include activity modification, medications, and physical therapy. Some patients benefit from epidural steroid injections, which contain powerful anti-inflammatory drugs.

For many people with spinal stenosis, these methods are successful in reducing or relieving pain. However, occasionally symptoms are so severe or persistent that surgery might be necessary.

What type of surgery would I need for spinal stenosis?

The type of surgery you need for spinal stenosis depends on the underlying cause and how badly the condition affects you. Discectomy or microdiscectomy can treat herniated or ruptured discs, while spinal decompression might be necessary to remove bone spurs and thickened ligaments.

There are several ways of performing decompression surgery. These include laminectomy, where your surgeon removes bone from your vertebrae, and foraminotomy, where they may remove a small amount of bone plus soft tissues to give your nerves extra space.

Another approach is microendoscopic decompression using an endoscope to access your spine with minimal tissue damage. The Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) team specializes in performing minimally invasive spine surgeries like these. You might also need spinal fusion or an artificial disc to stabilize your spine after your spinal stenosis surgery.

Find the most effective treatment for your spinal stenosis by calling Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) or request an appointment online today.

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