Foraminal stenosis is a spine condition that impacts the foraminal canals within the spine. Specifically, this condition causes the foraminal canals found on either side of each vertebra to narrow, constricting the passageways that allow nerve roots to exit into the spinal canal from the spinal cord.

Once you have been diagnosed with this condition, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your doctor to begin a foraminal stenosis treatment plan for pain relief. The first thing your doctor will do before recommending your specific foraminal stenosis treatment options is find out what caused your condition to develop.

Causes of foraminal stenosis

The type of foraminal stenosis treatment plan you are prescribed will depend on the cause of your condition. Often, foraminal narrowing develops as a result of another spine condition pressing into the empty space within the foraminal canal. These spine conditions can include:

• Herniated disc
• Bulging disc
• Bone spur
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spinal arthritis

In some cases, the foraminal canal begins to narrow simply due to age and the natural degeneration of the spine. Each of these potential causes require a different approach to foraminal stenosis treatment in order to fully address the damage in the spine.

Conservative foraminal stenosis treatment options

For many patients, foraminal stenosis treatment begins conservatively. This means your doctor will likely take a nonsurgical approach to treating your condition through one or more of the following options:

• Pain medication
• Physical therapy
• Hot/cold compresses
• Stretches and low-impact exercises
• Weight loss
• Behavior modification
• Corticosteroid injections

If these foraminal stenosis treatments do not effectively relieve your pain after several months, you may be recommended for spine surgery.

Minimally invasive foraminal stenosis surgery

At USA Spine Care, we offer minimally invasive spine surgery as an option for foraminal stenosis treatment. Our procedures are performed through a less than 1-inch incision that spares the muscles surrounding the spine. This is an alternative to the large muscle-disrupting incisions that go with open neck or back surgery. Because of our care and precision during our minimally invasive surgery, patients can benefit from a shorter recovery time and lower risk of complication compared to patients who opt for traditional open spine surgery.

To learn more about the foraminal stenosis treatment options available to you, contact USA Spine Care today. We can provide you with a no-cost MRI review* to determine if you are a candidate for one of our minimally invasive surgical procedures for the spine.