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Psychology of Spinal Stenosis
Psychology of Spinal Stenosis / DiagnosisMost cases of diagnosed spinal stenosis are actually not harmful or symptomatic in any way. It is normal for the spinal canal to narrow with age and a stenosis condition is virtually expected in elderly individuals. Arthritis in the spine is responsible for creating most stenosis conditions, but disc degeneration and herniated discs can also play a role. Some patient’s stenosis is blamed on spondylolisthesis or some form of spinal curvature.
Regardless of the cause of stenosis, the diagnosis is often terrifying for the affected person. Stenosis paints a mental picture of the spinal structures impinging on the spinal cord, pinching it and causing painful misery throughout the body. The diagnostic manner of the physician can add to this fear through the considerable power of the nocebo effect or can negate it completely, if the patient is enlightened as to the true asymptomatic nature of most stenosis conditions. Psychology of Spinal Stenosis / TreatmentOnce a patient enters treatment for any back pain syndrome, they hope to find relief. Spinal stenosis is, of course, no exception to this rule. However, patients must understand that even if their pain is actually due to structural spinal cord compression (not likely), most treatment options WILL NOT cure it. Stenosis is mostly treated using symptomatic therapy options, which have no hope of changing the spinal anatomy or reversing the degenerative changes which have occurred. Spinal stenosis surgery is the one exception to this rule, but operations come with a variety of risks and contraindications of their own…Patients should be educated to understand what to expect from any particular treatment option prior to participation. This will prevent the inevitable disappointment which will come in months or years, when the pain remains, despite a variety of unsuccessful therapy modalities. Psychology of Spinal Stenosis / AdviceAs previously mentioned, most cases of stenosis are simply physical changes, but not causes for concern or sources of pain. In these cases, the stenosis has been mistakenly blamed for causing symptoms, when in fact, it is just a back pain scapegoat. Patients with this experience should consider knowledge therapy as their treatment of choice to overcome the fear and mythology of the diagnosis and recover using a risk free and proven system.For patients with rare, but serious symptomatic spinal stenosis, my heart goes out to you. You might have to make the difficult choice between ongoing symptomatic back pain treatment and risking the great unknown of surgical intervention. Before making your choice, look into spinal decompression as a potential treatment for some forms of stenosis. This non-surgical therapy has worked wonders for millions and continues to offer an effective noninvasive solution for a host of back pain syndromes.
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