Is heat good for spinal stenosis? (2023)

Does heat work for spinal stenosis?

Heat Therapy for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Heating over tight muscles in the lower back is often an effective way to achieve relief from spinal stenosis pain, as heating relaxes the muscles. Heating the affected area stimulates blood flow, which promotes and accelerates the healing process.

Using heat or cold therapy for managing spinal stenosis is a common recommendation for pain relief. Heat therapy can relax muscles and stimulate blood flow to the affected area, helping to promote healing. Cold therapy can help to numb the affected area, leading to pain relief.

The Vertiflex procedure for spinal stenosis (also called the Superion® implant) is a new way to increase the space between the vertebrae — space that may collapse as spinal stenosis progresses. This new procedure uses a small spacer inserted between the spinous processes (those bumps you can feel on your back).

MILD® — minimally invasive lumbar decompression

One of the most effective treatments for treating lumbar spinal stenosis is a procedure called laminectomy. This treatment removes part of the vertebra that's putting pressure on your nerve.

Generally, heat should be applied 1-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time – however, if heat is added too early in the healing process it can perpetuate the inflammation cycle and be harmful to the body.

If you have truly pulled or strained your lower back muscles, applying heat will cause inflammation. Heating inflamed tissues will make your pain worse and certainly won't help things get better any time soon.

Having good posture and practicing proper body mechanics are some of the best ways to prevent stenosis from progressing and to ensure the health of your back. Good posture and body mechanics should be practiced all the time—whether you're sitting, standing, lifting a heavy object, or even sleeping.

Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck. Some people with spinal stenosis have no symptoms. Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Symptoms can get worse over time.

An alternative to ESIs, or an option to consider if injections are no longer providing relief, is the mild^® Procedure. mild^® stands for minimally invasive lumbar decompression. It's a short outpatient procedure that relieves pressure on the spine through an incision smaller than the size of a baby aspirin (5.1 mm).

What does a neurosurgeon do for spinal stenosis?

The most common surgery in the lumbar spine is called decompressive laminectomy, in which the laminae (roof) of the vertebrae are removed to create more space for the nerves. A neurosurgeon may perform a laminectomy with or without fusing vertebrae or removing part of a disk.

When sitting, avoid leaning forward, make sure there is proper lumbar support for the inward curve of the low back, and keep both feet flat on the ground.

As you've discovered, spinal stenosis does sometimes make it extra painful to walk uphill or climb stairs. Both of those activities cause you to lift your leg higher than normal, and depending on where your nerves are being pinched, this movement can put more pressure on the nerves.

The L4 and L5 nerves (along with other sacral nerves) contribute to the formation of the large sciatic nerve that runs down from the rear pelvis into the back of the leg and terminates in the foot.

Though there are no specific rules about the length of time to use a heating pad, it should stay on for about 10-30 minutes to be effective. If on for too short a time, the muscle or joint may not have an opportunity to warm up and experience pain-relieving benefits.

Prolonged use of hot packs and heating pads, or application of a heat source that is overly hot without a barrier on the skin, can cause contact burns. A rash or burn that takes on a distinctive web-like pattern and appears red or dark is called erythema ab igne.

There's little evidence to support the idea that using a heating pad for longer than 30 minutes has any additional benefits. In fact, leaving a heating pad on bare skin for too long (or on too high of a setting for an extended period of time) can result in minor burns.

Vitamin B12 is important for the normal functioning of the neurological system, deficiency of which can result in varied neurological symptoms which may mimic those of spinal stenosis.

What kind of chair is best for spinal stenosis?

Recliner Chair

For example, people with pain from lumbar spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease often will feel most comfortable in a reclined position with feet propped up on a footrest. For these people, one option may be to use a recliner while working.

If you're looking to add to your exercise regimen—and if your doctor has given you the green light—walking and swimming are both excellent exercises for lumbar spinal stenosis. You can even combine both activities by doing water walking.

While pain has not always been a recognized symptom of MS, it plays a huge role in this chronic neurological disease. Anything that raises the body's temperature can worsen MS symptoms. This means a hot summer day can make the pain worse and it is so common, that there's even a name for this: Uhthoff Syndrome.

Heat calms painful muscle spasms

Heat therapy can help relieve tightness in the lower back by recouping circulation, relaxing tense muscles, and reducing related pain. See What Is Your Back Muscle Spasm Telling You?

Nerve Pain

Pain caused by conditions such as sciatica respond well to ice or cold treatments because that temperature tends to calm inflammation and numb any soreness in the tissue. It's best to use cold when the pain is still sharp and move on to heat once that sharpness has subsided.

A chiropractor will utilize a variety of techniques that can aid in the management and/or repair of some types of spinal stenosis. The exact approach will differ from one patient to the next depending on spinal stenosis type, the severity of the condition, and the patient's overall health.

A conservative approach should be the initial course of treatment for stenosis, especially in the elderly. Relief of symptoms is often seen with simply decreasing activities and the use of anti-inflammatory medications. Physical therapy and strengthening exercises can also be helpful.

Anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, anti-seizure medications, and antidepressants can all help provide spinal stenosis pain relief.

A heated bath relieves neck, spinal, and back pain. It reduces muscle spasms, chronic headache, spine inflammation. Moreover, the hot tub heals the back nerves, improves the blood circulation in the back, and immunity.

Can you reverse spinal stenosis naturally?

While spinal stenosis can't be reversed, treatment is available to address your pain.

An alternative to ESIs, or an option to consider if injections are no longer providing relief, is the mild^® Procedure. mild^® stands for minimally invasive lumbar decompression. It's a short outpatient procedure that relieves pressure on the spine through an incision smaller than the size of a baby aspirin (5.1 mm).

The most common surgery in the lumbar spine is called decompressive laminectomy, in which the laminae (roof) of the vertebrae are removed to create more space for the nerves. A neurosurgeon may perform a laminectomy with or without fusing vertebrae or removing part of a disk.

Having good posture and practicing proper body mechanics are some of the best ways to prevent stenosis from progressing and to ensure the health of your back. Good posture and body mechanics should be practiced all the time—whether you're sitting, standing, lifting a heavy object, or even sleeping.

When sitting, avoid leaning forward, make sure there is proper lumbar support for the inward curve of the low back, and keep both feet flat on the ground.

Vitamin B12 is important for the normal functioning of the neurological system, deficiency of which can result in varied neurological symptoms which may mimic those of spinal stenosis.

Diet and exercise

Diet and exercise can be considered for patients that have spinal stenosis who are also overweight. Because additional fat in the body presses down on the spine and makes it support more weight, it aggravates spinal stenosis and may even lead to the condition developing.

If you have truly pulled or strained your lower back muscles, applying heat will cause inflammation. Heating inflamed tissues will make your pain worse and certainly won't help things get better any time soon.

Anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, anti-seizure medications, and antidepressants can all help provide spinal stenosis pain relief.

The primary symptom of stenosis at any site is pain and fatigue resulting from pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

Can a chiropractor fix spinal stenosis?

A chiropractor will utilize a variety of techniques that can aid in the management and/or repair of some types of spinal stenosis. The exact approach will differ from one patient to the next depending on spinal stenosis type, the severity of the condition, and the patient's overall health.

If you're looking to add to your exercise regimen—and if your doctor has given you the green light—walking and swimming are both excellent exercises for lumbar spinal stenosis. You can even combine both activities by doing water walking.