Spinal Stenosis Treatment

Comprehensive spinal stenosis treatment or spinal canal stenosis at Herzliya Medical Center in Israel incorporates precise diagnosis and innovative surgical techniques to avoid compression of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Experts in the Orthopedics Department at HMC in Israel have developed a unique post-operative rehabilitation process to accelerate restorative function and eliminate neurological symptoms.

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Degenerative disc disease is a term that describes the process of degeneration of the intervertebral discs over time, which is usually age-related – spinal stenosis can lead to this.

Spinal stenosis describes any narrowing of the central canal of the spinal cord, minimizing side pockets or holes among spinal nerves. The main cause of spinal stenosis is a herniated disc – inhibiting damage to the integrity of the fibrous capsule, resulting in a protrusion from pressure on the neural structures and blood vessels of the spine.

Spinal Stenosis Causes

Spinal stenosis indicates the shifting of the cartilage and bone structures of the spine, which may be caused by:

• Degenerative (age-related) changes
• Injury (household, sports, professional)
• Neoplastic growth (tumors)
• Spondylolisthesis (spinal instability)
• Arthritis (of the spine)
• Compression fractures of vertebrae from falling, excessive exercise, or osteoporosis
• Rare causes develop from congenital disorders or skeletal deformities
• In some cases, ankylosing spondylitis

Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

General symptoms include:

• Tingling or numbness, hot/cold feeling in the legs
• Leg pain when walking (claudication), or during activities
• Lower back pain
• Frequently falling or clumsiness
• Sitting or lying down (flexing forward) brings relief

Types of Spinal Stenosis and symptoms

Spinal stenosis symptoms vary based upon localization of the disease to mainly two areas:

• Cervical stenosis (cervical spinal stenosis) – considered the most dangerous form of the disease due to the risk of spinal cord compression and severe neurological vulnerability to damage below the lesion. Progressive restriction can be a detriment to a motor and sensory functioning. There is also a risk of autonomic innervation as a sign of dysfunction of internal organs which may cause involuntary urination and defecation, in severe cases paralysis
• Lumbar spinal stenosis – characterized by severe pain, developed as a result of increasing compression of the spinal nerves of the lower back, sciatica symptoms of numbness or tingling, which radiate from the lower back into the buttocks and legs. Lumbar stenosis commonly occurs at the L4-L5 and L3-L4

Over 70% of spinal stenosis cases occur in the lumbar spine (lower back), causing pain in the back of the leg. Spinal stenosis may be accompanied by severe malnutrition of the skeletal muscle, which worsening impairments and significantly limits mobility, threatening permanent disability. For men, the disease often causes erectile dysfunction.

Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis at HMC

Spinal stenosis is typically discovered when patients report having pain, have a clinical history of spinal stenosis, and/or observed through physical examination by orthopedic and neurological diagnostics. Screening methods include spinal X-ray, as well as computer (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Differential diagnosis of peripheral nerve supply is carried out by measuring the conductivity of the neuromuscular impulse through electromyography (EMG). All diagnostics are conducted in the department of functional and visual diagnostics at HMC in Israel.

Spinal Stenosis Treatment

Conservative treatments for spinal stenosis are aimed at reducing pain. Patients often experience significant improvement after taking epidural steroids to reduce swelling and pressure of soft tissues on the nerves and dura mater. Additional relief is achieved through physiotherapy. Systemic analgesics also facilitate therapeutic effects. Unfortunately, conservative treatment is only temporary – unable to completely eliminate spinal compression. Therefore, these methods cannot completely free the patient of the risk of disease recurrence.

Spinal Stenosis Surgery at HMC

As symptoms progress, research evidence indicates for patients suffering from pronounced pressure to undergo surgical treatment. The Department of Neurosurgery at HMC in Israel provides patients with several treatment options to remedy spinal compression in Israel. Procedures include:

Microsurgical and minimally invasive treatments to correct herniated disc is possible while preserving the integrity of the fibrous capsule

• Removal of the damaged intervertebral disc puts pressure on surrounding tissue, such as a lumbar laminectomy (to treat lumbar spinal stenosis)
• Surgical intervention on the static and dynamic fixation of the spine is performed to help prevent harmful symptoms and restore spinal mobility without risk of applying pressure on structures of the spinal cord

Neurosurgeons at HMC in Israel carefully explain spinal stenosis treatment options, providing detailed characteristics of each available procedure. Doctors allow patients the choice among highly efficient and safe procedures available.

Spinal Stenosis Surgery Prognosis

The maximum recovery period after spinal stenosis treatment varies upon the use of modern technology by neurosurgeons and the approach taken during the postoperative period. The team of physiotherapists at Herzliya Medical Center use highly effective techniques to reduce pain, rehabilitate motor and sensory function, and minimize thrombotic and thromboembolic complication. All patients who undergo spinal stenosis treatment are provided with detailed instruction for ongoing treatment and outpatient follow-up care.