Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis

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Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of passageways in the spinal canal that causes nerves to be pinched. Symptoms include leg—or more rarely, arm pain—numbness and tingling, and pain in the spine. If you’ve experienced these symptoms and are considering a visit to the doctor, here’s a little information on what to expect.

When diagnosing spinal stenosis your doctor will likely perform one of two tests: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or an electromyogram (EMG). During an MRI, you lie still in a large machine for up to one hour while it uses a magnetic field to create detailed pictures of your bones, muscle and other tissues. An EMG is usually performed in two stages, although both are not always required. The first involves the administration of tiny shocks to a patient while electrodes on the surface of the skin record the body’s reaction. In the second stage of an EMG, thin needles are pierced into your muscle one at a time to record activity in the muscle.

In addition to these tests, your doctor may use other methods in diagnosing spinal stenosis including:

a physical exam
conducting an interview regarding your symptoms
injections to isolate parts of the spine

If you’ve undergone any of these diagnostic procedures and it is determined that you have spinal stenosis, your doctor will create a treatment plan for you. Depending on the severity of your condition, treatment could involve over-the-counter pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, or special exercises. If these are unsuccessful at easing your pain or you have very severe pain to start with, your doctor may recommend surgery. If this happens to you, you may want to consider the minimally invasive and highly successful surgical procedures we offer for spinal stenosis at Laser Spine Institute.

If you’d like more information on our procedures, or the methods used in diagnosing spinal stenosis, contact us today.

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