Spinal Stenosis Specialist

Ohmedica Joint and Spine Health Specialists

Miguel D Attias, MD

Interventional Pain Medicine located in Tampa, FL

Conditions such as arthritis, bone spurs, and degenerative disc disease can reduce the space within your spinal column and cause painful spinal stenosis. If you're affected by this problem, interventional pain management specialist Miguel Attias, MD, of Ohmedica Joint and Spine Health Specialists can help. At locations in Seminole and Tampa, Florida, Dr. Attias performs procedures such as minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD®) and uses Vertiflex™ interspinous spacers to relieve pressure on your spinal nerves. Find out how to get long-term relief from spinal stenosis by calling Ohmedica Joint and Spine Health Specialists today, or book an appointment online.

Spinal Stenosis Q & A

What is spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a common cause of chronic back pain that develops over time, mainly due to the effects of aging.

Stenosis means narrowing, so when you have spinal stenosis, it means there's less space inside your spinal canal. As there isn't a great deal of room there anyway, even a slight narrowing can lead to nerve compression or irritation and pain.

It's the pressure on your spinal nerves that causes the common spinal stenosis symptoms of chronic lower back pain, tingling, heaviness, or numbness in your legs, and pain in your buttocks, hips, and legs.

What causes spinal stenosis?

There are several ways in which your spinal canal can become narrower:

Disc problems

Degenerative disc disease is a condition that develops as you age due to the drying out and flattening of the discs between your vertebrae. 

These changes in your discs can make your spinal canal narrower or alter the alignment of your vertebrae. They also make you more prone to disc herniation, where the inner material pushes through the outer shell.

Arthritis

Arthritis — most commonly osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis — causes changes in the facet joints linking your vertebrae that can make your spinal canal narrower. Damage to the vertebrae may also trigger the development of bone spurs or osteophytes, which cause further narrowing.

Other problems like Paget's disease, which causes bone overgrowth, and spinal trauma can also lead to spinal stenosis.

How is spinal stenosis treated?

Nonsurgical treatments for spinal stenosis can often help ease the pain and other symptoms. Dr. Attias creates a treatment plan for you that could include:

  • Activity modification
  • Physical therapy
  • Medication
  • Heat and ice
  • Massage therapy
  • Stretching and strengthening exercises
  • Regenerative medicine
  • Epidural and facet joint injections
  • Facet and medial branch nerve blocks
  • Radiofrequency neurotomy (nerve ablation)
  • Spinal cord stimulation
  • Intrathecal pump implantation

Dr. Attias can also perform several minimally invasive procedures for spinal stenosis. One is minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD), in which Dr. Attias removes excess ligament and bone to relieve nerve compression.

Another is using Vertiflex interspinous spacers to open up your spine. The spacers mimic the effect that leaning forward has, which relieves pressure in your spinal canal when you have spinal stenosis.

Both these procedures use techniques that avoid open surgery and cause minimal scarring. You can usually go home the same day if you have MILD or Vertiflex treatment.

To find a solution for your spinal stenosis symptoms, call Ohmedica Joint and Spine Health Specialists today or book an appointment online.