Treatment Options for Spinal Stenosis

Clinic Agatas is the first private pain management and spinal surgery clinic in Lithuania, offering both inpatient and outpatient services. In this article, the clinic’s founder, anesthesiologist and pain specialist Dr. Asta Mažeikaitė, shares advice on managing chronic pain and one of the most common issues—spinal stenosis.

“They say age is just a number, and that’s true—except when it comes to spinal stenosis. With this degenerative condition, the spaces between vertebrae and the openings through which nerves exit become narrowed over the years, resulting in nerve compression,” explains Dr. Mažeikaitė. This narrowing can occur due to the discs between vertebrae losing fluid and shrinking, the ligaments near vertebrae thickening, or osteoarthritis in the vertebral joints.

Regardless of the cause, spinal stenosis means one thing—vertebrae coming closer together, compressing spinal nerves, and causing various types of pain for the patient.

What to Do if You Have Spinal Stenosis?

This degenerative condition can be treated surgically, but many people can manage pain and symptoms without surgery. Pain specialist Dr. Asta Mažeikaitė from Clinic Agatas offers advice for those with spinal stenosis:

Invasive or Medication-based Treatment

After a thorough clinical assessment, pain specialists may prescribe injections near the nerve roots or into the facet joints, which are performed with the help of X-rays, epidural steroid injections, so-called “blocks”, or drug therapy. Such treatment may be prescribed by a pain specialist even in cases where there is spinal stenosis, herniated discs, or disc fragments pressing on the nerves of the lower back and neck.

Physical Activity

“A physical therapist should be every spinal stenosis patient’s best friend,” jokes Dr. Mažeikaitė. The physical therapist’s goal when working with a patient experiencing pain is to relax the muscles to reduce pressure. It is essential to create an exercise plan based on the patient’s physical fitness level and body type. “I’d like to emphasize that not all exercises and treatment methods suit every patient. We are all different; we respond to medications differently and have varied pain thresholds. Both the treatment plan created by the pain specialist and the exercise plan from the physical therapist are tailored to each unique clinical case,” says Dr. Mažeikaitė.

Weight Reduction

Excess weight can worsen existing pain, as it adds extra load to the spine and knee joints. A healthy, balanced diet can not only help lose unnecessary weight but also reduce pain. “Due to a lack of certain vitamins and minerals, a patient may experience pain more intensely, so some foods should be avoided while others should be consumed more,” states Dr. Mažeikaitė.

Clinic Agatas follows a holistic approach—usually, one doctor cannot and should not handle all problems. Therefore, all specialists work together, aiming to reduce or completely eliminate the patient’s pain. “The idea of founding this clinic came from the desire to provide help here and now, with all the necessary specialists in one place. We understand the importance of quick assistance in cases of pain, and we discuss and collaborate as specialists to find the best solution for each individual case.”

Pain may take away favorite activities, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. “Age is just a number, and sometimes a few healthy lifestyle changes are enough to return to the activities you enjoy. ‘Do you remember who you are without the pain?’—this is the slogan of Clinic Agatas, encouraging people to take care of themselves and not let pain take away their normal life,” says Dr. Asta Mažeikaitė.

You can register with Clinic Agatas specialists here.