Did You Know?

When you have gone through months of conservative treatments for foraminal stenosis and it is still causing you pain, you may need surgery. What is a better option of minimally invasive spine surgery?

  • Endoscopic Foraminotomy
    Foraminal stenosis is caused when the foraminal canal becomes blocked with debris; during surgery debris is removed safely through a small incision. For more information about how an endoscopic foraminotomy procedure is performed click here.
  • Laminectomy
    This is an aggressive surgery and should only be used if there is severe damage as the incision is quite large and recovery times can be very lengthy. This surgery has the potential to destabilize the spine and may require a 2nd surgery; a spinal fusion, try again
  • Laminotomy
    This is an open back surgery, so there would need to be a large incision on the back. During the surgery a portion of your lamina would be removed. This can increase the space in your spinal canal and it also allows your surgeon to remove any debris that may have accumulated. Because of its invasive nature you would require a long recovery period, try again

What is Foraminal Stenosis?

A foramen is a small hole through which the nerve roots exit the spine. Foraminal stenosis refers to the narrowing of these small holes. When these holes narrow enough the nerves exiting through them begin to become compressed and irritated causing pain.

Symptoms of Foraminal Stenosis

Common symptoms of foraminal stenosis include numbness, burning, tingling, and a sensation of pins and needles locally and in the extremities. If a cervical foramen is affected symptoms will be felt in the shoulders, arms, and hands. If a lumbar foramen in affected the symptoms will be felt in the buttocks, legs, and feet. Muscular weakness/atrophy may begin to set in as nutrients the muscles need begin to become restricted from the nerve compression.

What Causes Foraminal Stenosis

The most common causes of foraminal stenosis include bone spurs (bony projections), disc herniations, disc bulging, arthritis, and ligament thickening.

Treatment Options for Foraminal Stenosis

Conservative treatment of foraminal stenosis includes anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, activity modification, physical therapy, and exercises that target the back. If these treatments do not provide the patient with sufficient pain relief surgery may be considered as a final option.

An endoscopic lumbar and cervical foraminotomy are minimally invasive procedures for the correction of foraminal stenosis. Through this procedure the debris that is causing the stenosis is removed by a laser, radio frequency, or mechanical tools. The incision is very small and the recovery time for this procedure is minimal. To learn more about this procedure and to find out if you are a qualified candidate please click here.

How Can We Help

Atlantic Spinal Care has been successfully treating Foraminal Stenosis in hundreds of patients every year. If you are interested in learning more about how Atlantic Spinal Care can help you relieve the pain you suffer as a result of Foraminal Stenosis please consider one or more of the following options: