Treatments & Conditions
The OHSU Spine Center offers a full range of treatments for spinal stenosis. The right treatment for you depends on how severe your symptoms are and how long you have had symptoms. It also depends on the amount of nerve compression. Our goal is to relieve your pain and prevent further symptoms.
Pre-Treatment Plan
At your first appointment, your doctor will have reviewed your comprehensive health questionnaire [link to health questionnaire pages]. Your answers give the doctor detailed information about your pain and ability to function. This will help determine how serious your symptoms are and what treatments will be most helpful.
Conservative (Non-Surgical) Treatment
If you have mild or moderate symptoms, you can usually be treated without surgery. An exercise program designed by your doctor or a physical therapist can help you stay active and control your pain. If you have severe pain, injections can be helpful.
Conservative treatments for spinal stenosis include:
Surgical Treatment
If your pain doesn't get better with other treatments, or you have severe spinal stenosis, you might need surgery. You should also consider surgery if you have severe pain and weakness that affects your ability to move around normally. If you have had severe spinal stenosis for a long time, it can be difficult to return to normal activities even after surgery.
Types of surgery for spinal stenosis include:
