Signs Spinal Stenosis Is Getting Worse

Characterized by a narrowing spinal canal, spinal stenosis is a fairly common cause of back pain. While some cases are caused by genetics, spinal stenosis usually results from age-related spinal degeneration that progresses over time.

If you have symptoms of spinal stenosis that are steadily worsening, it’s crucial to take action to protect your spine. The sooner you start receiving treatment, the better the prognosis. 

Continue reading to learn about the signs that spinal stenosis is getting worse—and what to do about them. 

How Fast Does Spinal Stenosis Progress?

Spinal stenosis often progresses slowly, sometimes over several years. In the very early stages, spinal stenosis may progress so slowly that it doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms until later on. 

When spinal stenosis is left untreated, however, its progression can accelerate. In cases of degenerative spinal stenosis, the spinal ligaments can gradually thicken, and damaged intervertebral discs can protrude into the spinal canal. As these degenerative changes progress, spinal stenosis symptoms gradually worsen. 

How to Slow Down Spinal Stenosis Progression

While spinal stenosis isn’t curable, there are a few strategies that may help slow down its progression. These include:

  • Regular exercise: Staying mobile is crucial for people with spinal stenosis because it helps maintain your strength and flexibility while promoting pain relief. Exercise promotes the release of endorphins (brain chemicals with natural pain-relieving effects) and boosts blood circulation throughout the body. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the spinal tissues to encourage healing and regeneration. 
  • Weight management: Staying at a healthy weight may help slow down spinal stenosis progression by preventing excess impact on the spine. Being overweight or obese can exacerbate spinal stenosis by placing more pressure on the spinal bones, discs, and nerves. 
  • Eating an anti-inflammatory diet: Inflammation plays a role in spinal stenosis progression, as it worsens nerve impingement and spinal disc damage. An anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce underlying inflammation in the body, which may slow the condition’s progression in combination with the other strategies listed here. 

What Aggravates Spinal Stenosis?

Several factors aggravate spinal stenosis, including:

  • Walking and standing for long periods

Lumbar spinal stenosis can compress the nerves that supply your legs and feet. This can lead to discomfort when you stand or walk, particularly for extended periods. 

  • High-impact activities

High-impact exercises like running, boxing, weightlifting, and gymnastics should generally be avoided with spinal stenosis. These activities place significant stress on the spine, which can worsen stenosis symptoms. 

  • Limit certain positions

With spinal stenosis, it’s important to avoid extreme back extensions. When the back is significantly extended, space within the spinal canal decreases. This can further irritate and compress the spinal nerves. 

  • Immobility

While you may need to avoid high-impact exercise and long periods of standing or walking with spinal stenosis, make sure that you don’t adopt a sedentary lifestyle, either. Inactivity can weaken the muscles supporting the spine, leading to more impact on the spine structures. It can also reduce circulation throughout your body, which diminishes the tissue healing process. 

  • Smoking

Clinical research shows that tobacco smoking has various harmful effects on degenerative spinal diseases, including spinal stenosis. Nicotine adversely affects osteoblastic cells, which are cells that support bone tissue growth and regeneration. 

Why Is Walking So Painful With Spinal Stenosis?

Walking can be so painful with spinal stenosis because it increases the pressure on the spinal cord and nearby nerves, including nerves that supply the legs. 

Some people with spinal stenosis experience lower back pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the legs when they walk. Lumbar spinal stenosis can also cause drop foot, a symptom that occurs when the foot slaps or drops onto the ground while walking.

With that said, walking can also be a great way to stay mobile with spinal stenosis, as it’s a low-impact form of exercise. Maintaining good posture while you walk, taking breaks, and wearing shoes with excellent cushioning can help you walk more comfortably with spinal conditions. 

If you experience pain when you walk, try other types of low-impact exercise to stay mobile, like:

  • Swimming
  • Water aerobics
  • Stationary biking
  • Targeted stretches and strengthening exercises

Can You Become Paralyzed From Severe Spinal Stenosis?

Yes, severe spinal stenosis can cause partial or complete leg paralysis. However, this is rare, especially if you seek professional treatment. 

It’s essential to receive emergency medical care if you experience ‘red flag’ symptoms of spinal stenosis. These symptoms indicate that you’re at risk of paralysis and require immediate treatment to prevent permanent nerve damage:

  • Changes in bowel or bladder function
  • Urinary retention (difficulty emptying the bladder)
  • Severe lower back pain
  • Severe leg weakness or paralysis
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Reduced or lost reflexes in the knees and ankles
  • Difficulty standing or walking
  • Saddle anesthesia (numbness in the areas that would touch a saddle)

The symptoms listed above are also warning signs of cauda equina syndrome, a possible complication of spinal stenosis. This condition develops when the cauda equina, a collection of nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord, is compressed. Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency requiring emergency care to prevent permanent paralysis.  

Treatment of Severe Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Treatment for severe lumbar spinal stenosis typically includes decompression surgery, especially if conservative treatments have failed to yield results. 

Conservative treatments for spinal stenosis include:

  • Physical therapy
  • Pain medications
  • Steroid injections
  • Lifestyle changes
  • Alternative therapies, like massage and acupuncture

In cases of lumbar spinal stenosis that have already progressed to a severe degree, conservative treatments may not provide adequate pain relief. If your symptoms are severe and interfere with your day to day, your physician will likely recommend surgery. 

Surgery for Severe Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Surgery for severe lumbar spinal stenosis typically involves two steps, decompression and stabilization. 

  • Decompression involves removing tissue that’s impinging on spinal nerves to alleviate pain and neurological symptoms. Examples include laminectomy, discectomy, and foraminotomy.
    • In laminectomy, the surgeon removes some or all of the lamina—the piece of bone that covers the back of the spinal canal. This creates more room in the spinal canal, helping to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. 
    • Discectomy involves removing some or all of a damaged intervertebral disc. It’s commonly used in spinal stenosis cases caused by a herniated or ruptured disc. 
    • In foraminotomy, the surgeon enlarges the spinal foramen, which are the openings through which nerve roots exit the spinal canal. 
  • Stabilization prevents future issues relating to spinal instability, as the decompression process can destabilize the spine. The most common form of stabilization used after decompression is spinal fusion. This surgical process involves placing an implant containing bone graft material between the affected vertebrae, causing them to permanently fuse into a single bone. 

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Spinal Stenosis

Modern research has paved the way for minimally invasive spinal surgery. Unique surgical approaches and tools, like endoscopes, facilitate smaller incisions, less tissue damage, and shorter recovery periods. 

An endoscope is a tiny camera that a surgeon inserts through a small incision to gain visibility of the spine on an external monitor. Endoscopic spine surgery is a minimally invasive approach to decompression, providing precision with less disturbance to the back muscles and internal organs. 

Spinal Fusion Alternatives

Another consideration in spinal stenosis surgery is the complications associated with spinal fusion. Fusion involves a lengthy recovery process, reduces spinal mobility, and can lead to adjacent segment degeneration. 

Regain your mobility with Premia Spine! Contact us now

Regain your mobility with Premia Spine!

David danced at his son’s wedding

Bonnie explains why TOPS surgery was the right decision for her

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Scott speaks about going to surgery

The TOPS System is a mechanical implant device that’s FDA-approved for degenerative spondylolisthesis at one level from L3 to L5 with moderate to severe lumbar spinal stenosis. It’s attached to the spine in lumbar decompression surgery to restore stability while preserving spinal mobility. The device moves in all directions, allowing patients to return to their regular activities. 

TOPS has also earned an FDA claim for superiority to lumbar fusion. To learn more about this revolutionary treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis, contact a participating physician in your area.