Spinal stenosis is a common problem. Many people have the condition without showing any symptoms, but when issues arise, they can become so debilitating that they interfere with daily life.
In the past, there were few pain relief options for spinal stenosis symptoms beyond conservative therapies or open spine surgery. But if you have lumbar spinal stenosis, we have good news: Times have changed.
Our team stays up-to-date with cutting-edge interventional pain management options at Glaser Pain Relief Center. We offer the latest treatment option for lumbar spinal stenosis — the Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD®).
When you have spinal stenosis, structural changes in your spine cause it to constrict the spinal cord or nerves in the area. These changes occur for various reasons, like herniated discs, thickened ligaments, overgrown bones, and tumors. If this happens in the lower back, it’s known as lumbar spinal stenosis.
Signs of lumbar spinal stenosis include:
Stenosis symptoms can affect one or both legs, and they often occur when you stand for extended periods or when you walk. Most people find relief by sitting or bending forward slightly, which is where MILD comes in.
Sitting or bending forward helps open up restricted areas in the spine, reducing the pressure on constricted nerve roots. The MILD procedure provides similar relief by removing small amounts of the tissue causing the problem — and we perform it in our office.
During a MILD procedure, we make a tiny incision in your back smaller than a baby aspirin. Then, we insert specialized tools to remove small amounts of bone and ligament in the area to restore space in your spinal canal. The entire MILD procedure takes less than an hour.
But the good news doesn’t stop there. MILD treatment also doesn’t require general anesthesia, implants, stitches, or steroids or opioids.
And, unlike other procedures, it doesn’t alter the structure of your spine. That means you don’t have to worry about MILD eliminating the option of different treatment options or co-occurring therapies.
After having a MILD procedure, you can go home and typically resume regular activity within 24 hours. For the best results, we often use MILD in combination with a simple at-home physical therapy program designed to increase mobility over time.
MILD has an 85% patient satisfaction rating, including reduced pain and increased mobility. It increases average standing times from 8 minutes to 56 minutes, with patients having less pain in the process.
Do you have lumbar spinal stenosis? Contact Glaser Pain Relief Center in Encino, California, to learn whether MILD is right for you by calling 424-402-1240 today or requesting an appointment online.
