“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
― Robert Frost
Does Your BACK HURT?
Usually a patient first comes to my office because of pain. Then we talk to them, take some x-rays and send them home for the day. The x-rays taken with a low back disc lesion will most commonly be normal, but may reveal degenerative (decay like) changes. With spinal stenosis a patient will see a narrowing of their nerve canal.
In the lower spine ten millimeters or less equals stenosis; which is a TON of pressure on your spine.
On CT scan or MRI ‘disc lesions’ are represented by herniations of varying severity, but spinal stenosis is represented by a narrowing of the bony canal in your back. It’s like squeezing a hose hard.
If you have not had a recent x-ray of your lower back, schedule one as soon as you can, as a precautionary step. Don’t wait until it’s too late to do something about your back pain, and don’t always rely upon your symptoms to tell you something is wrong. Not all your nerves are pain sensitive, so you do not have to have pain to have the problems I just discussed. Schedule your re-exam today to I can make sure you’re healthy, and not only feeling good.