Chronic low back pain is a major problem for millions of people, and like a lot of persistent maladies, it tends to become more common with age. Back pain can stem from a wide variety of problems, but for many older people, a lot of lower back pain can be traced to a condition called lumbar spinal stenosis.
While medication and physical therapy often help initially, these options become a lot less effective at providing relief as the condition progresses. At Superior Pain Relief, Zaid Malik, MD, and his team offer an alternative: minimally invasive MILD® therapy designed specifically for lumbar spinal stenosis. Here’s how it works and how it could help end your chronic back pain.
Your spinal canal extends from the base of your brain down to your tailbone at the base of your lower back (your lumbar spine). This tunnel acts as a conduit for your nerves as they travel from your brain to every other part of your body. Nerves exit the spinal canal at specific points before traveling to limbs, organs, and other areas.
“Stenosis” means narrowing, and that’s what happens if you have lumbar spinal stenosis: The area inside your lower spine narrows, crowding and compressing your nerves. Eventually, that compression leads to painful symptoms like lower back discomfort and pain and tingling that travels all the way through your buttocks and down your legs.
Spinal stenosis is often caused by age-related changes in your spine. Arthritis is one possible cause, but many people with lumbar spinal stenosis develop symptoms when the ligaments that support the canal thicken and stiffen, crowding the canal and pressing on neighboring nerves.
Lower back pain is a common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis, but it’s not the only symptom. Because these nerves travel to your legs, it’s also common to have leg pain, numbness, and weakness. Severe stenosis may even interfere with bowel and bladder function.
Most people find their symptoms feel worse — sometimes a lot worse — when they’re standing or walking. On the flip side, symptoms typically improve when sitting or leaning forward, positions that open up the spine, temporarily relieving nerve pressure.
Spinal stenosis is a progressive condition, meaning it typically starts with mild symptoms and becomes worse over time. Without proper treatment and ongoing medical management, spinal stenosis can lead to physical disability that can make it difficult to do even simple tasks, ultimately interfering with your long-term comfort, personal independence, and overall quality of life.
While conservative treatments like pain medication and physical therapy might help in the early stages of lumbar stenosis when symptoms are mild and intermittent, these treatments don’t target the underlying nerve compression. This means your symptoms will almost certainly grow worse with time.
The MILD procedure was developed to address the underlying cause of nerve compression by increasing the space inside the spinal canal. During treatment, Dr. Malik removes small portions of thickened ligament tissue crowding the spinal canal. This increases the space inside the canal and relieves nerve pressure and the symptoms it causes.
MILD uses a very small incision combined with specialized instruments and imaging guidance for advanced precision. Because it’s minimally invasive, the procedure is performed using local anesthesia and sedation, eliminating the need for general anesthesia and its potential risks.
You’ll be able to walk around shortly after your procedure, resuming your regular activities over the following days and weeks as your back heals and recovers.
Chronic lower back pain is definitely a common problem, but our team is skilled in helping every patient find relief.
To find out what’s causing your painful symptoms and if MILD could be a good choice for you, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Malik and the team at Superior Pain Relief in Baytown, Willis, and The Woodlands, Texas.
