Spinal Stenosis Video Series

In this video, Dr. Jeffrey Wang, an orthopaedic surgeon and Chief of the UCLA Spine Service, gives a brief overview of spinal stenosis.  In simple, easy-to-understand terms, Dr. Wang will help you understand why some of us develop spinal stenosis.

Spinal stenosis is when the areas around your spinal cord or spinal nerves narrow.  With less room to travel through, the spinal cord or nerves can then get pinched (or compressed, in the more technical term).  You’ll have pain if that happens.

Spinal stenosis affects many people because it’s a natural part of aging.  However, having spinal stenosis doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have pain.

To learn more, you can read this informative summary article on spinal stenosis.

Dr. Jeffrey Wang, an orthopaedic surgeon and Chief of the UCLA Spine Service, explains the typical symptoms of spinal stenosis.

Pain that comes and goes depending on your position is the most recognizable symptom of spinal stenosis.  Typically, you’ll have pain while walking, especially while walking uphill.  When you stop, sit down, or bend over, your pain lessens.

Dr. Wang also talks about other possible symptoms, including sciatica.  That’s a specific leg pain that travels from your low back and down one leg.

To learn more, you can look over this helpful article about symptoms of spinal stenosis.

To help you understand the causes of neck pain, SpineUniverse brought in Dr. Jeffrey Wang, an orthopaedic surgeon and professor at UCLA.  In this video, he goes over the typical causes, such as bone spurs.

As we age, parts of our spine can start to wear out.  For example, Dr. Wang talks about the facet joints, which are the parts of the vertebrae that help our spine move so well.  (Dr. Wang says that these joints “articulate,” which essentially means that they help us move.)  As a natural part of aging, the cartilage on the facet joints can wear away, making movement quite painful.  In response, your body may form bone spurs, which are bony overgrowths.  Unfortunately, those bone spurs can take up extra room in your spinal canals, narrowing them and making it difficult for the nerves to get through.

If you want to read more, try this article about the causes of spinal stenosis.

Before your doctor can diagnose spinal stenosis and develop a treatment plan, he or she will have to run a series of exams and tests.  In this video, Dr. Jeffrey Wang, a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCLA, explains those exams and tests in clear-cut language.  He’ll help you really understand what is going to happen to you during the diagnosis process (or maybe you’ve already been through that process but still don’t entirely understand what happened).

Dr. Riew goes over the neurological exam, x-rays, MRIs, and more.  You can also read an article on spinal stenosis exams and tests.

Dr. Jeffrey Wang, an orthopaedic surgeon and professor at UCLA, talks about the non-surgical treatment options for spinal stenosis.  Conservative treatments are always tried first, except in the most severe cases (where you have, for example, lost bowel or bladder control).

He runs through the gamut of treatment options, including rest to give your body a chance to heal itself.  If your pain isn't overwhelming or debilitating, you can give it time and see if it improves.  Dr. Wang also reviews other typical non-surgical options, including medication, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and even acupuncture.

As a top orthopaedic surgeon and Chief of the UCLA Spine Service, Dr. Jeffrey Wang is a trustworthy source when it comes to reviewing your surgical options for spinal stenosis.

In this video, Dr. Wang reviews the most common surgical procedures for spinal stenosis.  He also explains new technologies that are emerging to relieve pain caused by spinal stenosis.  For example, Dr. Wang talks about interspinous spacers.  The spacers go in between your spinous processes, which are the parts of your vertebrae you can feel by running your hand down your spine (Dr. Wang points out the spinous processes on a model of the spine.)  The interspinous spacer is used to create more room for your nerves as they exit the spine through openings called foramen.  If there’s more room, your nerves may not get pinched.

You can also read this article about other surgical options for spinal stenosis.

Dr. Jeffrey Wang, a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCLA, goes over some terms you may hear your doctor use as he or she talks about spinal stenosis.  Use this video as a quick reference or refresher to help you more fully understand your condition.

Dr. Wang reviews:

• Disc (intervertebral disc)
• Facet joints
• Spinous processes
• Osteoarthritis
• Intervertebral foramen