Exercise and Spinal Stenosis

Nysportsred
Nysportsred Posts: 224 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have any ideas of how to exercise with spinal stenosis? I have had it for a while (hereditary - entire Dad's side of the family have had bad backs), but the last few months it has bothered me more than it did before. I start exercising and the back tightens which causes the thighs, hamstrings, and overall legs to tighten and require frequent stops. I have been to doctor's, had epidurals, 6 day steroid cycles, PT, acupuncture, and massage. Nothing has helped for a more than a few days at a time. Oddly enough I feel better each day if I don't stretch when I wake up like I have been for a while to keep my fibromyalgia from acting up.

I have been told the only real option is surgery that is 60/40 as far as the success rate and at 35 they keep telling me it can also make it worse so not to risk it this young.

Anyone know of any medications that may help or steps I can take the get through an hour workout without having to stop 20 times and make it a 2.5 hour workout?

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    You’ve had a lot of intervention so I am not going to pretend I have some super-special answer. If you are not doing so, then I would suggest you put aside any idea about “working out” and focus solely on trying to build up your back stability as much as you can. That means not trying to do all the exercises, but only those (maybe from PT?) that have worked in the past. Stick with very light loads and progress slowly. You need to find your “floor”— ie the lowest amount of exercise, resistance, and volume that you can tolerate and then g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y build up from there. It can’t be a situation where you do a few warmup stretches and then try to do a regular workout.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I've got a spinal stenosis that I never knew I had until it was revealed after an MRI to assess an SI joint injury.

    Fortunately for me, it has never been a problem requiring any treatment. Of course, this doesn't help you.

    Frankly, based on your history, you're probably more knowledgable about the treatment options than anyone else here.

    So, I wouldn't even hazard a guess about what you should do and simply wish you the best regardless of the course you choose.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Have your physical therapists given you at home exercises? If PT works, it seems like you should be able to keep it up. Have you felt comfortable telling them your goals, rather than them just giving you the standard workup?

    As Azdak said, the only thing that works for my degenerative disc disease (different problem, but the treatments are generally similar) is to build up gradually. I can push myself hard maybe once a week, depending on other conditions, other than that I need to have a more steady state, adding more every few weeks. It took me over two months to work up to walking 10k steps regularly, and that time included PT to strengthen my core muscles and lots of stretching, as well as taking rest days as needed. Certain kinds of stretches can still aggravate your spine, so that is where the PT comes in.
  • Nysportsred
    Nysportsred Posts: 224 Member
    Hopefully this makes sense....today has been a rough one and tiring so it may not lol:

    I think it is that it makes me feel bad about not working out. I ignored the pain for a while (I am told it wouldn't have mattered if I stopped then or not), but once it became obvious I could either play with my kids OR work out, but not be able to do both comfortably obviously I picked the kids. I've worked hard this long on keeping the weight off and I believe I am more afraid of putting it all back on. I am still down 42 pounds, but that thought is still there and the numbers change and it changes my perspective.

    For some reason I am that person that if I added a few pounds people around me would let me know right away. I don't comment on others weight. To be honest I don't even notice if people gain/lose. I get told though and it adds a little bit of stress/pressure to my whole weight issue. Where I work now they never knew me as the person 42 pounds heavier so anything gained they would see. Family too. Family LOVES to be able to comment on people at times. It's disgusting.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited April 2018
    If your primary concern is the fear of gaining weight, you can control your weight simply by logging and controlling how much you eat each day and not eating more cals than you burn each day (assuming you are currently at a weight you like).

    Exercise is not necessary to burn additional cals, if you are not eating more than your body burns w/o it. Also, if you are only lifting for exercise, the amount of cals burned in that way is mimimal. You'd burn more cals just walking or doing other moderate cardio that does not cause you significant pain or discomfort.

    The benefit of lifting and exercise is to improve and/or maintain your physical health, strength and fitness and you "should" lift and exercise, if you can, but you shouldn't do so much that you suffer as a result, especially if your main goal is just to avoid gaining weight, which can be achieved w/o doing any exercise whatsoever.

  • Nysportsred
    Nysportsred Posts: 224 Member
    edited April 2018
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    If your primary concern is the fear of gaining weight, you can control your weight simply by logging and controlling how much you eat each day and not eating more cals than you burn each day (assuming you are currently at a weight you like).

    Exercise is not necessary to burn additional cals, if you are not eating more than your body burns w/o it. Also, if you are only lifting for exercise, the amount of cals burned in that way is mimimal. You'd burn more cals just walking or doing other moderate cardio that does not cause you significant pain or discomfort.

    The benefit of lifting and exercise is to improve and/or maintain your physical health, strength and fitness and you "should" lift and exercise, if you can, but you shouldn't do so much that you suffer as a result, especially if your main goal is just to avoid gaining weight, which can be achieved w/o doing any exercise whatsoever.

    Yeah the food I am constantly watching. I am fine being at 192. I was a 42" waist when I started and I am am currently just below a 37". I am not sure what the average for a man is supposed to be, but for me this is a big difference.

    I have always exercised and worked out and I think it is more me trying to come to terms with not being able to like I used to. I know it's health related, but I start to feel a bum not being able to as much. I keep telling myself to just put up with the pain for now as it is more the tightness that is the issue, but now knowing the tightness isn't something that is going to be relieved by stretching or a better warm up sucks.

  • jasonbraun4
    jasonbraun4 Posts: 1 Member
    I have the same type of back problems as well as various other back issues from the Marines. Other than weight which has already been addressed is maintaining proper core strength. I'm not referring to training for abs but solid core strength and stability. What has helped me is incorporating core strength into every exercise that I preform and being conscious of it for every rep or weight training.

    Another thing that has helped me is maintaining proper flexibility through my hip flexors and posterior chain. This is done by incorporating glute training and stretches that target the hip flexor. It was shocking to me how much this helped and the direct correlation that tight hips and glutes had on bad posture and as a result effected my back. Hope this helps.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited April 2018
    so i am not a doctor. and more medical intervention may be needed.
    what could help? core stability, flexibility and proper alignment. it is not a cure, but might help.
    either physical therapy or a light yoga class or both so you can learn about what to do and what not to do. and more importantly how to do it with proper alignment. this will help support your frame and may help with the stenosis

    again, not a doctor. ask your dr if they think it would help
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    how about yoga or swimming or water work outs?
  • Nysportsred
    Nysportsred Posts: 224 Member
    Water work outs I’ve been looking in to but no affordable place near me with open swim hours.
  • blessedgirl1973
    blessedgirl1973 Posts: 2 Member
    Unfortunately I have these same problems in my back also. Since it covers my entire spine, it isnt operable. My doctor said water aerobics with weights help with. I havent tried it yet myself. But that could be worth checking out.
  • BeckyWarnke1
    BeckyWarnke1 Posts: 1 Member
    at PT they're telling me the stretches they call exercise, is to strengthen my back, which is suppose to help prevent future pain. It does help, but I'm also multi level stenosis so I still have to be very careful with exercise, swimming is the best I've found.
  • Lyrica7
    Lyrica7 Posts: 88 Member
    Get a second opinion or two- my fil had surgery for spinal stenosis and said he should have done it sooner

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