Whats causing my spinal stenosis?
Most often, spinal stenosis is the result of disease or injury to the spine. The leading cause of spinal stenosis is wear and tear on the spine due to aging. In fact, the most common direct cause of spinal stenosis is osteoarthritis, where the cartilage that cushions joints starts to degenerate due to age. Some patients are genetically more prone to stenosis. They may have more osteoarthritis in their family. Other causes of spinal stenosis are bulging discs, herniated discs, or injury to the spine. Some people are born with spinal stenosis, but that is very uncommon. What are some non-surgical ways to deal with my spinal stenosis? There are many non-surgical treatment options for you as you deal with spinal stenosis: • You can try acupuncture or massage, two alternative treatment options that some patients have found helpful. • You can do some easy exercising to strengthen the muscles around your spine so that it’s better supported—that could help reduce the pain. Swimming is a good f
