Surgery Is Best Treatment for Spinal Stenosis

Nearly all groups of patients with spinal stenosis, excluding smokers, do better with surgery than with nonsurgical treatment, according to a study that appears in the Oct. 1, 2012, issue of Spine.

“With the exception of smokers, patients who met strict inclusion criteria improved more with surgery than with nonoperative treatment,” the study reports. Adam Pearson, MD, and colleagues at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice conducted the research, which suggests that patients who smoke should consider quitting before they undergo surgery for spinal stenosis. For more information, click here to read the full release.