You're facing a decision: Is it time to consider surgery for your spinal stenosis?
Or do you want to keep using medicine, exercise, and physical therapy to manage your symptoms and stay strong?
It really is your choice ...
and it's important to consider both the medical facts and your personal feelings.
I'll give you some information that can help you compare your options ...
so you can make a decision that's right for you.
Okay, let's look at your options.
You may want to have surgery if you have tried other treatments for a while and your pain is still so bad that you can't do your normal activities.
Spinal stenosis surgery may work better than non-surgery treatments to relieve pain and help you move around easier ...
especially if you have leg pain.
It may not help as much if you only have back pain.
But any surgery has risks, especially for older people.
Possible problems include bleeding, infection, or problems from anesthesia.
There's also a small risk of other problems, such as damage to the nerves.
And ... there's a chance that surgery might not relieve your symptoms.
Even if it does, the symptoms could come back in a few years ...
so you might need surgery again.
Your other option is to keep using non-surgery treatments, like pain medicine, exercise, and physical--or physio--therapy.
These treatments may be all you need if your symptoms aren't too bad.
But you'll need to be patient, because it could take a long time for these approaches to relieve your symptoms.
And if your symptoms are severe, not having surgery means your normal daily activities may be limited ...
and you'll have to live with the pain and discomfort.
So ... do your symptoms bother you enough that you're willing to accept the risks of surgery?
Or do you think you can manage your symptoms without surgery?
When you've answered those questions, your next step is to tell your doctor which way you're leaning.
Now ... it can be hard sometimes to talk to doctors, especially if you're not used to it.
But your thoughts and feelings are important ...
and your doctor wants to hear them ...
so that by working together, you can decide which option is best for you.
