Spinal stenosis is a condition that occurs when there is a narrowing of the gaps in your spine, resulting in pressure on the spinal nerves. Symptoms can include pain, tingling sensations, and numbness in the extremities. Spinal stenosis and the symptoms that accompany it can be serious enough to severely impact a person’s ability to earn a sustainable income. For instance, problems with walking, standing for long periods of times, difficulties in lifting or carrying heavy objects are all some of the challenges that sufferers face daily.
Unfortunately, there is no complete cure for spinal stenosis. However, your physician may prescribe a schedule for the management of your symptoms. Painkillers are often prescribed. Your doctor may also prescribe anti-depressants and opioids to relieve severe pain. Symptoms may not be eased through the use of medication alone. Steroid injections are sometimes used to help relieve pain. However, there are complications associated with the regular use of steroid injections, including weakness in the muscles. Therefore, these are not generally prescribed more than a few times a year.
Physical therapy can help reduce the severity of muscular weakness as a result of the lack of exercise that follows the symptoms of spinal stenosis. In severe cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to treat the pain. There are surgical treatments that may be used for the treatment of cervical spinal stenosis including a laminectomy and laminoplasty.
You may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits if you suffer from spinal stenosis. However, your disability must fit into a criteria. For instance, the pain must be chronic, non-radicular pain, located in the lumbar region, and cause difficulty in walking. You also must be able to prove medical evidence of the condition, including the results of imaging tests and the results of physical examinations that will identify muscular weakness, numbness, poor reflexes and other indications of your reduced physical abilities.
If you or a loved one suffers from spinal stenosis, contact Lisa Smith Siegel, Attorney at Law.