Pain Management Services is dedicated to helping our patients survive life with chronic pain and thrive. Spinal stenosis is a complex condition resulting in persistent pain that can be debilitating in severity. Spinal stenosis occurs when the narrow spaces in your spine surrounding nerves become narrowed. This narrowing can apply pressure to the nerves, causing tingling, numbness, pain, and loss of mobility and function. Treatment of this condition can often start with non-invasive techniques such as lifestyle changes that reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms.
Lifestyle modifications for spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis can occur due to a degenerative condition, disease, or injury. Regardless of the underlying cause, this condition can produce symptoms that range from tingling and numbness to nearly intractable pain. Making lifestyle changes to address the earliest symptoms is essential. These changes can help reduce the frequency of your symptoms and significantly reduce the speed at which your condition advances.
Lifestyle changes that have shown positive results in some patients include:
- Regular Exercise – Our spine is a complex and integrated system that is touched and touches numerous areas within the body. When we are inactive, our muscles aren’t as strong as they could be, leaving the spine potentially unsupported. Various forms of exercise can help to improve the strength of these muscles and improve endurance, flexibility, and spinal support.
- Weight Management – The spine supports every pound of weight we carry and can aggravate the symptoms of spinal stenosis. Losing weight is an effective way to reduce the severity of symptoms caused by spinal stenosis.
- Posture – Maintaining proper posture is essential to maintaining spinal health, whether you’re sitting or standing. Improper posture puts additional strain on the muscles of the upper and lower back and can aggravate the symptoms of spinal stenosis.
- Diet – While diet can be an important part of weight loss, it can also help control the inflammation that is a major source of the discomfort and pain from spinal stenosis. Some foods contain anti-inflammatory properties that will help reduce inflammation in the body, while others are prone to producing inflammation.
- Smoking Cessation – In addition to its other many deleterious effects, smoking is also known to enhance the symptoms of spinal stenosis, including pain, numbness, and tingling.
Making these changes to your lifestyle can have a meaningful impact on your health and the severity of your conditions. While spinal stenosis treatment with medication and pain relievers can be necessary, these approaches come with their own complications. Even with the advanced techniques today, surgical approaches can be risky and introduce risks of surgical and anesthetic complications. Lifestyle changes can produce a meaningful improvement in your symptoms on their own or in combination with these other forms of treatment.
See Us To Get Relief From Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis symptoms can make experiencing life to its fullest difficult, even in its mildest form. Taking control of your symptoms early in their development can help maintain your quality of life at higher levels and for longer periods. If you want to learn more about what Pain Management Services can do to help your symptoms, come see us in Ballwin, MO, or call our office at (314) 821-8644.
