When Spinal Stenosis causes
lower back pain and other symptoms, Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation
may recommend the use of Epidural
Steroid Injections. This minimally invasive procedure, which
involves the injection of a long-lasting steroid, is conveniently
offered in our Red Bank, NJ pain management office. Our medical
staff is comprised of top specialists in the field of pain management
and rehabilitation. Our goal is to help patients find the very best
in non-surgical pain management. We believe in using the healthiest,
most conservative rehabilitation practices possible.
Spinal Stenosis is a painful condition
which involves the narrowing of the spinal canal; this narrowing
compresses the nerves and the spinal cord. Spinal Stenosis is often
associated with age-related degeneration in the spine. Some basic
causes of Spinal Stenosis include a disc
herniation, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or (more rarely) a
tumor.
Lower
back pain is a major symptom of Spinal Stenosis in the lumbar
(lower back) region of the spine. Other signs of Spinal Stenosis
include abnormal sensation—including numbness
and tingling—in the thighs, legs,
and feet. Serious cases of Spinal Stenosis may lead to loss of bladder
and bowel control.
Generally speaking, the first sign
of Spinal Stenosis is pain, followed by progressive radiculopathy
as the spinal cord and nerves become gradually trapped in an ever-shrinking
area within the spinal canal. (Radiculopathy is the term used to
describe the symptoms that occur when a nerve is negatively affected
and can no longer work properly.) Other symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
include weakness, heaviness in the legs, and muscle cramps.
It’s important for patients
with Spinal Stenosis to regain or maintain basic movement and functioning.
Working with our physical therapy
and chiropractic departments can
help Spinal Stenosis patients relieve symptoms and improve mobility.
The symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
can be managed with these types of non-surgical therapies. However,
some patients suffer from pain and disability to the extent that
therapeutic exercise or chiropractic may not be possible. At Monmouth
Pain and Rehabilitation, our goal is to give patients as many options
as possible—we don’t want patients to think that surgery
is required in such cases. We also don’t want patients relying
on the long-term use of painkilling medications. In such cases,
Epidural Steroid Injections may be considered.
The epidural space is the outermost
part of the spinal canal; it surrounds the spinal sac and provides
cushioning for the nerves and the spinal cord. An injection of a
steroid medication in the epidural space relieves inflammation and
irritation of the spinal nerves and spinal cord caused by the narrowing
of the spinal canal. This procedure offers patients serious pain
relief.
Epidural Steroid Injections do not
require anesthesia; as such, we perform them in our Red Bank office.
Because our medical staff specializes in this type of interventional
procedure, our physicians are able to perform Epidural Steroid
Injections with little or no pain. Our pain management specialists
also make use of Fluoroscopy during
the procedure; this imaging technology allows for better accuracy,
thereby boosting the
effectiveness of Epidural Steroid Injections.
Contact our
Red Bank, NJ pain management office to find a wide variety of
progressive, non-surgical treatment options for lower back pain.