Spinal Stenosis

I had an MRI that showed mild central spinal stenosis and severe bilateral foraminal stenosis at my L5/S1. I was seeing a neurosurgeon at the time, and he suggested 6 weeks of physical therapy...which, unfortunately did not work for me.  His next suggestion was epidural injections, which I did not want to do.  Aside from that, he said surgery was my only option (I have grade 2 spondylolisthesis)...I said "no thanks".  Meanwhile, I was getting horrific leg pain from the stenosis, so I went out and bought myself a home inversion table.  I started using it everyday for 5-10 minutes.  Within 3 months, the leg pain was gone and my next MRI showed no stenosis.  Not saying it's for everyone, but it worked for me.  I would suggest asking your doc his/her opinion on inversion therapy.  I still invert on my table every morning upon waking up.  It feels great and I'm kind of afraid to stop using it for fear that the leg pain might return...so I'll keep doing it forever if I have to.  

No I have not heard of inversion therapy. I did a search on it and I am going to talk to my doctor about it. The theory behind it make sense to me.

Edited by bcball 2010-10-05 8:05 PM

I had SS. Mine was C5-C6. I had back and soulder pain, numbness in my feet and hands. So bad I thought it was MS. The doctor told me it was not going to get better, period. That it would get worst as I got old. Because it was cervical and very pronounced I was in high risk to be paralized if I got into an accident (something as simple as a whiplash from a fender bender could leave me in a wheel chair). I am very active so It was simple decision in my case, I did not want to risk it. I got my herniated disk removed, a fusion of C5-C6 with a bone graff. I have titanium screws and a metal plate in my neck and, since the surgery 4 years ago, it has never bother me again. I went with a highly recommended doctor and did my research. He was amazing!!!! 6 months after surgery I was snowboarding and montain biking, no problem. Everyone is different but I have a very active lifestyle and could not bare the thought off being forced to a sedentary life. Back surgeries are so advanced nowdays! Everyone is different and conditions may differ so it is a very personal choice. Me? I did my researched, found a great doctor and trusted the process. Good Luck!

bcball, I'm sorry to hear about your situation.  I can relate somewhat.  I haven't suffered from SS so my story isn't exactly like yours, but I do have a congenital defect in my lower spine which for many years I was told was causing my severe back pain and prevented me from an active life.  I lived with this for a couple of decades(!) (from 16 yrs old to late 30's).  I had a EUREKA moment when I learned about TMS from Dr. John Sarno in 2007.  It changed my life.  TMS is a more holistic and non-surgical approach to dealing with chronic pain.

I mention this because there are certain cases where people with Spinal Stenosis are also cured through the TMS approach.  Here's a link to some information if you are interested in researching it for yourself.

http://tmswiki.wetpaint.com/page/Spinal+Stenosis

http://wm.kusa.gannett.edgestreams.net/ads/sales/COCO/1287599422062-Boulder%20Neurosurgical%20&%20Spine%20102010.wmv

This is the link to an interview with my doctor and a testimonial by me.  I had stenosis that had gotten to the point that not only could I not run or ride, but even had a hard time going up stairs.  The pain was horrible. I did accupuncture, massage, rolfing, yoga, physical therapy, some juice that was supposed to help, inversion table and injections. That is how I found my doctor and I competed in my first half 6 months after surgery with a 15 min pr and Ironman 18 months after. Since then I have done St Geroge IM as well as just did Austin 70.3 where I qualified for the Worlds Championship 70.3 next year. 

DO NOT GET FUSION. the caging techniques and such do not work out well. It will weaken the vertebrae around it causing all of them to collapse overtime.  My dad has mind boggling spinal degeneration and SS, Ive talked to his doctor many times and a large majority of his patients have had some surgery with no results or increased pain.

Thank you everyone for the replies! I know back surgery has come a long way. I'm not totally against it, but it is certainly my last option. I found an inversion table on ebay and the guy was local so I bought it and I have been using it for about 2 weeks. I no longer have the pins and needles sensation going down my leg anymore. I'm not ready to say it fixed anything, but it certain has helped relieve the worst of the symptoms. As long as I stay pain free I am going to use it until spring and get another mri and see where things are.

That is awesome news!!  So glad to hear that it helped someone else, too.  As I said in my earlier post, I still use mine everyday, even though it's been about 2 years since I first had the leg pain.  I wish you continued success in staying pain free and I hope your next MRI indicates that you're on the right path.   

So how long do you stay on this inversion table for? I have been given a machine called an Invertex. Its a "A" frame with a "swing" that you hook your knees in, then lean forward at the waist onto the top of the "A" frame and turn up side down, hooked in by the now vertical swing that your knees are hooked into, if you get the picture? So fully up-side-down, vertical with upper body from hips to head hanging free. Is this the same as an inversion table?

Sorry for the late reply, I just saw your post. I hang for about 10 mins. at a time. I typically hang for 5 mins. then go upright for a min. then hang for another 5 mins. I read that going between inverted and upright will get the fluid in the disks moving which helps flush out toxins.

i agree completely ... and surgery done for the wrong reasons with the wrong expectations will almost always have a bad result - and, sadly, this is a common thing in spinal surgery, seen in both orthopaedic and neurosurgical spine surgery.

with the specific case of spinal stenosis, the problem isn't necessarily disk degeneration, or mechanical back pain, or degenerative joint disease (basically spine arthritis,) which all cause some degree of pain in addition to potential neurologic deficits.  spinal stenosis (and foraminal stenosis as well) becomes a surgical problem when you have neurologic symptoms.  numbness/tingling/weakness/gait problems/fine motor problems/coordination problems/loss of bowel+/or bladder control - etc.  the whole point of surgery for stenosis is to prevent things from getting WORSE.  a good spine surgeon should explain this very clearly.  they should also explain that the types of surgeries available for spine problems may not get rid of the pain.  and yes - ANY SURGERY, even mole removal, can make a bad situation worse.  that's what the signed informed consent document is for.  if you put pressure on nerves or the spinal cord over long periods of time, the damage (leading to neurologic symptoms like those mentioned above) can become irreversible.  so the point of decompressing the stenosis (which is essentially a "tight spot" for nerves and your cord) is to prevent worsening of symptoms and possibly - a very big POSSIBLY - prevent worsening of the pain.  every time i've ever discussed spinal surgery with a patient (often before referring them to a spine specialist, because spine is not what i do,) i make sure they understand that there is a fair possibility their symptoms may not improve with surgery and they may still have pain.  it's a very real possibility.  ESPECIALLY in the low-back-pain patient population.   

if you are ever even considering surgery, make sure you take the time to get good informed consent info from your surgeon and do a little research - a good spine surgeon can really do a lot of good.  a shady one, doing things for the wrong reasons, can make things better.  

TL;DR: you are smart to keep surgery as an option/last resort in your back pocket.  it is not without risks.  however, if you are having deteriorating/worsening neurologic symptoms (like those mentioned above, not just pain) that would be time to return to the surgeon.  



$0.02 from an orthopaedic surgeon.