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Is Physical Therapy Good for Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis happens when the spaces in your spinal column become narrower. This can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in your back. Depending on where your nerves are compressed, the pain can also spread down through your legs. 

Unfortunately, spinal stenosis diagnoses are on the rise, and experts believe that as many as 18 million Americans will struggle with these symptoms within the next decade.

If you have spinal stenosis — or suspect that you do — you might wonder if physical therapy can help you find relief.  

As a fellowship-trained spine surgeon and board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon,  Dr. John Regan and the Spine Group Beverly Hills team know just how debilitating spinal stenosis can be and often recommend physical therapy to our patients in Santa Monica, California with back pain.

Read on to learn more about physical therapy and how it can help with spinal stenosis. 

How physical therapy helps with spinal stenosis

Physical therapy is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of modalities, including stretches, exercises, manual manipulation, massage, and more. Each physical therapy plan is customized based on your goals, the condition you’re addressing, and the severity of your symptoms.

When it comes to spinal stenosis, physical therapy has three goals:

During your physical therapy sessions, you learn exercises that stretch and strengthen your core, hips, and legs — all of which support your spine.

For example, pelvic tilts, knee hugs, and knee rolls can improve your spinal mobility, while hip bridges and wall squats can help strengthen the muscles in your hips and lower back. This is just a small example of the exercises and stretches that can help you manage your spinal stenosis symptoms. 

Good posture can help alleviate back strain, so we also teach you techniques to improve your posture and body mechanics. With time, your physical therapy exercises can help reduce pain, improve spinal function, and restore your ability to perform daily activities with less discomfort. 

Just be sure to stick with your recommended exercises and stretches and do them consistently. If you have trouble completing your exercises each day, try setting a reminder on your phone.

When to consider physical therapy

If your spinal stenosis is causing mild to moderate symptoms, physical therapy is an excellent first step in managing your condition. It’s a non-invasive, conservative treatment option that can help you avoid or delay surgery. 

If you need surgery for spinal stenosis such as laminectomy, physical therapy is still beneficial. During your laminectomy, Dr. Regan removes the back portion of the vertebra that covers your spinal canal. This reduces the pressure on your nerves and helps alleviate your symptoms.

After surgery, physical therapy can:

For these reasons, physical therapy is often incorporated into post-op recovery plans for all types of orthopedic surgery, not just after laminectomies. 

Get help for spinal stenosis

Don’t let back pain zap your quality of life. Reach out to our team at 424-238-3281 and explore your options for back pain. Depending on the severity of your condition, Dr. Regan can get you started with either non-surgical treatments (including steroid injections)  or minimally invasive surgery.

You can also use our online scheduling tool to book your next appointment.

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