How is lumbar spinal stenosis treated?

The goals of treatment for spinal stenosis are to relieve pain, numbness, and weakness in the legs, to make it easier for you to move around and to improve your quality of life.

Treatments include:

• Home treatment, such as exercising, using over-the-counter pain medicines and losing extra weight.
• Prescription medicines to relieve pain.
• Physical therapy, to provide education, instruction and support for your self-care.
• Surgery, although most cases don't need this treatment.

Physical therapy is an important treatment for spinal stenosis. It can help with pain and build muscle strength.

Your physical therapist may teach you exercises to strengthen your abdominal (belly) muscles, which will help support your spine. You may also learn exercises to help maintain flexibility and reduce inflammation.

Alternative and complementary medicine therapies, such as acupuncture, are used by some people to relieve pain from spinal stenosis.