Non-Surgical Care for Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis can make walking, standing, exercising, and everyday activities increasingly difficult. You may notice aching in your lower back or neck, pain that travels into an arm or leg, numbness or tingling, or heaviness and weakness that becomes more noticeable when you’re on your feet. For some people, even a trip through the grocery store or a walk around the neighborhood becomes uncomfortable.
At Total Health Chiropractic in Coralville, IA, we provide conservative treatment options for patients experiencing back, neck, and nerve-related symptoms. For appropriately selected patients with spinal stenosis, IDD Therapy® spinal decompression may be considered as a primary non-surgical treatment option. Your care may also incorporate chiropractic care, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, therapeutic exercise, and other non-invasive approaches based on your examination findings, symptoms, and individual needs.
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis means there is a narrowing of space within or around the spinal canal and the openings through which spinal nerves travel. When that narrowing affects nearby nerve structures, it can contribute to pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or other neurological symptoms.
Stenosis most commonly affects the lumbar spine in the lower back or the cervical spine in the neck. It often develops gradually as changes occur in the spine over time. Degenerative disc changes, arthritis, bone spurs, thickened ligaments, and bulging or herniated discs can all contribute to reduced space around spinal nerves.
Having spinal stenosis on an imaging study does not automatically mean it is responsible for every symptom you experience. Your symptoms, physical examination, neurological findings, and available imaging all help determine whether stenosis may be contributing to your condition and which treatment options may be appropriate.
What Does Spinal Stenosis Feel Like?
Spinal stenosis symptoms vary depending on where narrowing occurs and which nerves are affected. Some people have primarily back or neck pain, while others experience symptoms that extend into an arm or leg.
Symptoms associated with spinal stenosis may include:
- Lower back or neck pain
- Pain that travels into the buttocks or legs
- Shoulder or arm pain
- Numbness or tingling in an arm, hand, leg, or foot
- Leg heaviness or weakness
- Cramping or aching in the legs
- Difficulty standing for extended periods
- Pain or weakness when walking
- Reduced walking tolerance
- Symptoms that improve when sitting or leaning forward
- Difficulty performing normal daily activities
Lumbar spinal stenosis can sometimes cause neurogenic claudication, in which standing or walking brings on leg pain, heaviness, numbness, or weakness that improves with sitting or changing position.
Because these symptoms can overlap with sciatica, disc problems, peripheral neuropathy, and other conditions, an appropriate evaluation is important.
What Causes Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is often associated with degenerative changes that develop in the spine over time. The discs between the vertebrae may lose height or change shape, joints may develop arthritic changes, and other surrounding structures can change in ways that reduce available space for spinal nerves.
A bulging or herniated disc can also contribute to narrowing and nerve irritation. In other cases, multiple changes occur together rather than one structure being solely responsible for the symptoms.
This is why treatment shouldn’t be based simply on the words “spinal stenosis” appearing on an X-ray or MRI report. Understanding your symptoms, mobility, neurological findings, and the structures involved can help determine whether conservative care is appropriate and which treatment approach makes the most sense.
Spinal Decompression for Spinal Stenosis
For appropriately selected patients, non-surgical spinal decompression may be an important treatment option to consider for symptoms associated with certain forms of spinal stenosis, particularly when disc degeneration, disc involvement, or nerve irritation is contributing to the problem.
Total Health Chiropractic offers IDD Therapy® spinal decompression at our Coralville office. This specialized form of computerized spinal decompression applies controlled distraction forces to targeted areas of the spine. Treatment is designed to gently unload spinal structures and reduce mechanical pressure in the treated area.
Unlike surgery, IDD Therapy® is non-surgical and non-invasive. There are no incisions or injections, and treatment is performed while you remain comfortably positioned on the decompression table.
Not every case of spinal stenosis is appropriate for spinal decompression. The location and severity of the stenosis, your symptoms, neurological findings, overall health, and other factors must be considered first. Dr. Dillon Hammes or Dr. Andrew Donnelly can evaluate your condition and determine whether IDD Therapy® should be included in your treatment plan.
Why Consider Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression?
Patients searching for spinal stenosis treatment near Iowa City are often looking for ways to manage their symptoms conservatively before considering more invasive treatment.
When clinically appropriate, spinal decompression provides an option that does not involve surgery. Treatment can also be incorporated into a broader rehabilitation plan rather than being viewed as a stand-alone solution.
At Total Health Chiropractic, the goal is to consider both your symptoms and your ability to function. If stenosis is making it difficult to stand, walk, exercise, work, or participate in everyday activities, treatment can focus on helping you manage those limitations while addressing contributing musculoskeletal factors when possible.
The appropriate treatment plan varies from patient to patient, which is why an evaluation comes before recommending decompression or another therapy.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Leg Pain
Lumbar spinal stenosis affects the lower portion of the spine and can produce symptoms extending beyond the lower back.
Some patients experience pain, aching, numbness, tingling, heaviness, or weakness in the buttocks and legs. Symptoms may become more noticeable after standing or walking for a period of time and improve after sitting or bending forward.
These symptoms can sometimes resemble sciatica or a pinched nerve, but the underlying causes are not necessarily the same. A bulging or herniated disc, degenerative changes, and narrowing around spinal nerves may occur individually or together.
When disc degeneration or other mechanical factors are contributing to a patient’s symptoms, IDD Therapy® spinal decompression may be considered as part of a conservative treatment plan following an appropriate evaluation.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis and Neck Symptoms
Spinal stenosis can also occur in the cervical spine, or neck. Depending on which structures are affected, symptoms may include neck discomfort as well as pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness extending into a shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers.
Because the spinal cord passes through the cervical spinal canal, certain forms of cervical stenosis require particular attention. Symptoms involving problems with balance or walking, loss of hand coordination, increasing weakness, or changes in bowel or bladder function warrant prompt medical evaluation.
For patients whose examination indicates that conservative care is appropriate, treatment recommendations will depend on the specific cause and severity of their symptoms. Spinal decompression may be considered in selected cases involving cervical disc problems or nerve irritation, but it is not appropriate for every person with cervical stenosis.
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation for Spinal Stenosis
Spinal decompression may be the primary treatment for certain patients, but improving movement and function can also be an important part of managing spinal stenosis.
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation may be incorporated into an individualized care plan to address mobility, strength, flexibility, posture, and movement limitations. Therapeutic exercises can be selected based on how stenosis affects your ability to stand, walk, work, or perform everyday activities.
This combined approach can be especially useful when pain has caused you to become less active. Reduced activity can contribute to muscle weakness and loss of conditioning, which may make everyday movement even more challenging.
Rather than using the same program for every patient, rehabilitation should reflect your symptoms, abilities, and functional goals.
Chiropractic Care and Other Conservative Options
Chiropractic care may also be considered for appropriately selected spinal stenosis patients when joint restrictions or other musculoskeletal problems are contributing to pain and limited mobility.
Treatment does not necessarily mean performing the same type of spinal adjustment on every patient. Your age, examination findings, severity of degeneration, neurological symptoms, and overall health can all influence which techniques and therapies are appropriate.
At Total Health Chiropractic, conservative care can draw from IDD Therapy® spinal decompression, chiropractic treatment, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, therapeutic exercise, and other non-invasive options available at the practice.
This allows your treatment plan to be based on your individual condition rather than relying on a single approach.
How We Evaluate Spinal Stenosis
An evaluation begins by understanding your symptoms. We will want to know where you experience pain, whether symptoms travel into your arms or legs, how long you can comfortably stand or walk, which positions make you feel better or worse, and whether you have experienced numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Your examination may include assessment of spinal mobility, movement, strength, and relevant orthopedic and neurological findings.
Total Health Chiropractic also has digital X-ray capabilities in-house when X-rays are clinically appropriate. Because MRI provides different information about discs, nerves, the spinal cord, and other soft tissues, additional imaging or referral may sometimes be appropriate when spinal stenosis is suspected.
If you already have recent imaging or have previously been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, bring that information with you so it can be considered along with your current symptoms and examination.
Spinal Stenosis Treatment Near Iowa City
If spinal stenosis is making it difficult to stand, walk, exercise, work, or enjoy everyday activities, conservative treatment options may be worth exploring.
Total Health Chiropractic is located at 2201 E. Grantview Dr., Suite 202 in Coralville, Iowa, conveniently serving patients from Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty, Tiffin, Solon, and surrounding Johnson County communities.
Our Coralville office offers IDD Therapy® spinal decompression along with chiropractic care, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and other conservative treatment options. After evaluating your condition, our team can determine whether non-surgical spinal decompression or another approach may be appropriate for you.
Call Total Health Chiropractic at (319) 338-7025 or schedule an appointment online to have your spinal stenosis symptoms and treatment options.
Spinal Stenosis FAQ
Non-surgical spinal decompression may be considered for appropriately selected patients with spinal stenosis, particularly when disc degeneration, disc involvement, or nerve irritation is contributing to symptoms. Total Health Chiropractic offers IDD Therapy® spinal decompression in Coralville. Because stenosis can vary significantly in location, cause, and severity, an examination is necessary to determine whether decompression is appropriate.
Yes. Lumbar spinal stenosis can cause pain, aching, numbness, tingling, heaviness, or weakness in the legs. Some people find that symptoms become worse with prolonged standing or walking and improve when sitting or leaning forward. Because several other conditions can produce similar symptoms, an evaluation can help determine the likely cause.
Many patients initially explore conservative treatment depending on the type and severity of their condition and whether significant neurological problems are present. Options may include spinal decompression, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, therapeutic exercise, chiropractic care, and other non-invasive approaches. Some cases do require surgical consultation, so treatment recommendations should be based on an individual evaluation.
Prompt medical evaluation is important if you experience significant or rapidly worsening weakness, new problems with walking or balance, loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness around the groin or saddle area, or other severe or rapidly progressing neurological symptoms. These symptoms should not be treated as routine back or neck pain.
