Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots. In the lumbar spine, it causes leg pain, heaviness, and cramping with walking — known as neurogenic claudication. In the cervical spine, it can compress the spinal cord and affect balance, coordination, and hand dexterity.
What are the symptoms?
- Leg pain, cramping, or heaviness that comes on with walking and is relieved by sitting or bending forward (lumbar stenosis)
- Difficulty walking more than a block or two without stopping to rest
- Numbness or tingling radiating into the legs or feet
- Weakness in the legs, causing tripping or instability
- Neck pain with arm weakness, balance problems, or hand clumsiness (cervical stenosis with myelopathy)
- Bowel or bladder changes in severe cases — warrants urgent evaluation
What causes it?
- Degenerative arthritis: Bone spurs from facet joint arthritis encroach on the spinal canal
- Ligament thickening: The ligamentum flavum (spinal ligament) thickens and buckles inward with age and disc degeneration
- Disc bulging or herniation: Disc material extends into the spinal canal, contributing to narrowing
- Spondylolisthesis: Forward slippage of one vertebra on another narrows the canal at that level
How is it diagnosed?
MRI is the primary imaging study, showing the degree of canal narrowing, neural compression, and the levels affected. CT myelogram is used when MRI is not feasible or when further detail of the bony anatomy is needed for surgical planning. Standing alignment X-rays may be obtained to evaluate for spondylolisthesis or deformity contributing to the stenosis.
Your Non-Surgical Roadmap — Surgery Is the Last Step
Most patients with this condition get better without surgery. Here's the path Dr. Chavarria follows before an operation is ever on the table:
- 1
Start conservative
Physical therapy, activity changes, anti-inflammatory or nerve medication, and time — the first line for nearly every spine condition.
- 2
Add targeted relief
If symptoms persist, image-guided injections (epidural or nerve blocks) can calm inflammation and pinpoint the source of pain — often avoiding surgery entirely.
- 3
Re-evaluate together
Dr. Chavarria reviews your progress and imaging with you, honestly, and explains exactly where you stand — no pressure, no rush to the OR.
- 4
Surgery — only if it's truly the best option
Reserved for severe or worsening nerve compression, instability, or when conservative care has had a fair chance. When it is right, you'll understand why and what to expect.
Treatment Options in Reno, NV — Conservative Care First
Many patients with mild to moderate stenosis benefit from physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and epidural steroid injections — particularly for acute exacerbations. When stenosis is severe, progressive, or significantly limits daily activities, surgical decompression (laminectomy) reliably expands the spinal canal and restores the ability to walk. Dr. Chavarria performs minimally invasive decompression when possible. When stenosis coexists with instability or spondylolisthesis, fusion may be added at the same time.
Treatment Procedures
Laminectomy & Decompression
Laminectomy is a decompression procedure that removes the back portion of a vertebra (the lamina) to enlarge the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots caused by spinal stenosis. It is the most commonly performed surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis and offers excellent results in restoring the ability to walk and stand without leg pain.
Learn More →Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Minimally invasive spine surgery uses specialized instruments and a small incision — often less than an inch — to treat many spine conditions with less muscle disruption than traditional open surgery. Most patients go home the same day and return to daily activities in weeks rather than months.
Learn More →Lumbar Spinal Fusion (TLIF/PLIF)
Lumbar spinal fusion permanently connects two or more vertebrae together, eliminating painful motion at an unstable or severely degenerated spinal segment. Techniques such as TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion) and PLIF (Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) restore disc height, decompress the nerve, and stabilize the spine — and can be performed with minimally invasive techniques through small incisions.
Learn More →