Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Management: When to Consider the MILD® Procedure

By the time you’re 50 years old, chances are very high that you have some degeneration in your spine. The way that your spine is structured, along with the normal wear and tear of daily living, combine to cause changes that can put pressure on the nerves of your spinal cord and lead to pain, numbness, or other symptoms.

The experts at Pain Consultants of Atlanta's six locations see patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. One effective treatment we offer is the MILD® procedure. This minimally invasive procedure allows your surgeon to restore the space around your nerves, which eases your pain. 

Basic anatomy of the spine

You already know that your spine is made up of vertebrae, which are small, interlocking rings of bone. Between your vertebrae, there are discs, which are also ring-shaped, and filled with a jelly-like substance that provides cushioning.

As you age, those discs become more fragile and less full, allowing your vertebrae to rub against each other. 

Sometimes, all of the jelly-like fluid in a disc moves to one side and bulges—and you have a herniated disc.

All of these changes can cause inflammation or pressure on the nerves that form your spinal cord, which runs through the middle of your vertebrae, filling the hollow part of the "ring" of each one. As the space in the center of the ring becomes smaller—called stenosis—there's a higher chance of pressure on your nerves. 

Your spine is divided into three sections:

• The cervical spine, which is your neck.
• The thoracic spine, or the middle section.
• The lumbar spine, or lower back.

The most common place people experience stenosis is in the lumbar spine. 

Symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis

One of the biggest nerves in your body is your sciatic nerve, and it's often affected by lumbar spinal stenosis. If you have sciatica, you likely feel burning pain in your buttocks or legs. It usually radiates from your buttocks down your leg and can even reach your foot.

Instead of an ache or burning feeling, you may have numbness, weakness, or a tingling sensation. Some people experience something called "leg drop" or "foot drop," where it's difficult to lift their foot, and it feels like their foot slaps the ground when they take a step. =

Treating spinal stenosis

Pain management specialists usually begin treatment with the least invasive and safest interventions. For example, we may suggest physical therapy or lifestyle changes. 

The MILD procedure was designed to help people who have lumbar spinal stenosis, and is an effective treatment approach in some cases. "MILD" stands for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression. The idea is that your surgeon can remove pieces of your damaged disk, bits of bone, or other debris causing compression on your spinal cord. 

When you have the MILD procedure, you only have one incision, and it's more of a puncture, which means you have less chance of developing an infection. Your surgeon uses imaging technology during the procedure to guide the removal of tissue fragments causing your symptoms. 

The key to success: individual assessment

If you're wondering if the MILD procedure would work to relieve your pain, it's important to talk to a highly-trained professional who has performed the procedure many times before. The Pain Consultants of Atlanta providers only make treatment recommendations based on a full understanding of your medical history, a thorough exam, and a comprehensive discussion of your symptoms and goals.

By considering each of those factors, your provider has enough information to make a recommendation. Your circumstances are unique, and an individual assessment is the best way for your provider to understand what will work best for you.

If you'd like to learn more, schedule an appointment at the Pain Consultants of Atlanta location that's most convenient for you.