Stenosis can be helped by surgery. There are reasons not to have surgery and there are reasons to have surgery. My mom isn't overweight and has it. It's can happen for many reasons. Sure, being overweight, but it could just be age, poor posture, sports injuries, lifting heavy things, injury, loads of reasons! I hope she gets better soon, however she does it. I'd suggest physical therapy if she hasn't tried that. I have a back disorder and changing my posture+PT has me keeping surgery at bay.

It depends on how severe and how progressive. What you don't want to have happen is like a friend of mine who had stenosis that pressed on the nerve in her leg and by the time they got to it and did the surgery, the nerve was damaged and she lost the use of that foot and had to wear a brace after that.

So I would seriously consider surgery. I think of it this way...it's a structural problem and only altering the structure is going to help.

It can be done with micro surgery at a top hospital, they make a small incision and it's day surgery.

I agree that surgery on the back isn't the big ordeal it used to be.

I have spinal stenosis in the lower lumbar region.

Surgery is an option.

In your sisters case...surgery may be the way to go...

Spinal stenosis can be multi-factorial and have associated conditions. Conservative intervention should always be considered first, unless there is neurological risk.

Weight can be an exacerbating factor, as well as posture, weakness and repetitive stresses.

I hope your sister can find a really good spinal specialist to consult in order to fully understand the underlying causes and appropriate modalities to treat and get relief.

Can your sister's MD refer her to PT for some mild exercises? Has she lost height?

This gets to be a round-robin of increasing trouble: When it hurts to move, you don't exercise, and you stay obese, increasing the burden on your back and joints.

I was amazed by the number of middle-aged, obese patients I saw recently in the orthopedic MD's waiting room. What do you think was playing on the reception area TV? It was a continuous loop of cooking shows! (It made me think of a dentist handing out caramels.)

chisue- I suppose that's good for business!

Thanks everyone. She saw the surgeon today. I think she's going ahead with the surgery. I just hope she isn't looking at it like a magic fix. I just wish she'd change her lifestyle a little.....

I wish her the best. Of course, I hope she does the work afterwards to achieve an optimal result!

The surgery won't do her any god without weight loss, sad to say. Of course the surgeon wants to do it--he'll have a patient for life. I have seen many many people with "failed back" syndrome. Of course, if she has nerve compression causing foot drop that's another story. That is an emergency surgery and as the poster above noted the nerve will not come back.

How can you know it won't do her "any good" to have the surgery? Surely, it could help in some way. It would be better if her lifestyle made it more effective, but then, we all could live by that mantra.

Sorry, but as I've said I've seen it too often. If she is a smoker on top of that, double whammy. The only way I would have that surgery if I were her would be if there were nerve impingement.

As a PT, OCS (board certified in orthopedics), with over 2 decades of clinical experience (teaching, publishing, lecturing and working with some of the finest spine physicians at an academic teaching hospital), you have no basis on which to declare the outcome of this pending surgery a failure.

Julie, your sister and her doctor have decided that she is a candidate for surgery, and she's availing herself of this intervention. Her history, pathology, intervention and other factors will influence the outcome, and hopefully her quality of life will be improved as a result of surgery.

Surgeons perform surgery on less-than-optimal patients, with less-than-optimal bodies, and less-than-optimal pathology, but the question remains, 'will surgical intervention improve their quality of life?'.

I trust the surgeon deems your sister's case appropriate for surgical intervention, and wouldn't dream of casting a shadow on her decision because she's not the perfect specimen.

It's a very big decision and she should go into this with positivity and support.

Again, wishing her a successful outcome.

I hope the spinal problem can be repaired. What is your sister willing to commit to regarding weight loss? (Surgery for that?)

When was she asked to commit to weight loss? Did I miss this being a part of the surgery?

mimi, I totally agree: "It's a very big decision and she should go into this with positivity and support"

Time will tell

I am one that almost waited too long to have my surgery for spinal stenosis... I had almost unbearable pain in my thigh and groin area...then one morning, I could not urinate. Was told to get immediately to the ER and admitted me to the hospital and did an emergency surgery. It took several months for those nerves to heal. The leg pain is gone, but my back still aches, but at least I can get around and take care of my home.

Wow, phoggie, that's what we call "hard neurologic signs"! I'm so glad you were able to get surgery in time to preserve function.

Well thank you all for your input. I do tend to be a bit pessimistic, thinking that the surgeon is telling her to go ahead with it, I mean, what is he supposed to say?? That's what he does. But then again, like mimipad says, we have no way of knowing the outcome. I will try and be positive for her, but it's so damn hard some times. I just feel like she's a pawn in the game of life right now....she's depressed about losing my mom, she's depressed at not being able to work, she's depressed at being broke, and I'm afraid she'll listen to whatever someone has to say, she's that desperate. sigh........

Julie, I'm sorry to hear about your friend's back situation. As mimipadv and others pointed out, there are various severities, causes, and compounding factors. What about finding a good pain clinic/center. Some are better than others. Who wouldn't been depressed about having ongoing debilitating pain? It can really take a lot of fun out of even eating, let alone socializing, maintaining your weight, health, home chores. A good pain center can help her address some of the fallout from this chronic pain.

Best wishes!

I know two obese Seniors with disintegrating joints. Orthopedic surgeons have refused to operate on them until they commit to losing weight. One had the gastric band surgery, but regained all his weight and more.

We can hope that if Julie's DS has less pain, she will move more, feel better physically and emotionally, and be motivated to start shedding her excess pounds. Surgery won't 'fix' her if she doesn't commit to changing her lifestyle. (That's not 'instant', but it's within her control -- and free!)

So? Two people had "requirements" put on them? And? Not everyone gets that?! And it's not up to you to decide what this patient needs. Over the internet? Without examining her. Nothing automatic about what's going on with this patient. I assume her own physician can assess what needs to be done and give her the appropriate treatment for her requirements.

please tell her to get a few opinions. I was just diagnosed with something that requires a spine surgery. The differences in what the two surgeons would do are frightening. The 2nd surgeon is nationally known. I will see one today that is world renown. We will see what he says. After the first doctors visit, I was terrified. After the second surgeons visit, not so much!

My sister hadn't gone to a doctor in over 20 years..till she had a stroke 3 years ago. .the fact that she feels so comfortable with this surgeon makes me feel a little better. The fact that she thinks this is a fix-all, does not.