Spinal Stenosis Specialist

Surgical Spine Associates

Eugene A Bonaroti, MD, FACS

Board Certified Neurological Spine Surgeon with locations in Irwin, Cranberry, and Washington, PA

Nothing stops you from enjoying daily life quite like chronic back or neck pain. When your pain is caused by spinal stenosis, you can depend on receiving compassionate care from Eugene Bonaroti, MD, FACS, at Surgical Spine Associates. Dr. Bonaroti is a skilled neurosurgeon who treats the whole person, beginning with nonsurgical treatment and eventually including minimally invasive surgery when it’s needed to repair the cause of your stenosis. If you need relief from back pain, call one of the offices in Irwin, Cranberry, or Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, or schedule an appointment online.

Spinal Stenosis Q & A

What is spinal stenosis, and what causes this condition?

Spinal stenosis refers to a narrowing of your spinal canal. The spinal canal is formed by the openings in the center of each vertebra, which create a passage for the spinal cord.

The canal may narrow following an injury. However, spinal stenosis is most often caused by degenerative conditions that develop over time, such as:

Herniated disc
Bone spurs
Thickened ligaments
Degenerative disc disease
Degenerative spondylolisthesis

These conditions protrude into the spinal canal, where they cause pain by compressing the nerves.

What symptoms develop due to spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis may develop in any part of your spine, where it causes symptoms such as:

Lower back or neck pain
Pain that radiates down your legs or arms
Leg cramping when you walk or stand
Tingling or numbness in your legs or arms
Leg weakness or fatigue
Difficulty using your hands for fine movement

Most patients find that their symptoms improve when they rest.

How is spinal stenosis treated?

Dr. Bonaroti initially treats spinal stenosis with nonsurgical options such as anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and epidural steroid injections.

If your symptoms don’t improve after about six weeks of conservative treatment, he talks with you about surgical intervention to repair the underlying problem.

Dr. Bonaroti has years of experience performing numerous minimally invasive procedures to repair spinal stenosis and alleviate your pain. Depending on the cause of your stenosis, he may recommend one of these treatments:

Discectomy or microdiscectomy

When spinal stenosis is caused by a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease, Dr. Bonaroti may perform a discectomy to remove the disc or a microdiscectomy to remove the damaged part of the disc.

Barricaid® device

Dr. Bonaroti may implant this device after a microdiscectomy. The Barricaid device covers the weakened area of a herniated disc, which lowers your risk for recurrent herniation.

Decompression procedures

Laminectomy, foraminotomy, and laminotomy are minimally invasive procedures that decompress nerves. Each one removes a different part of vertebral bones, ligaments, and other tissues to relieve pinched nerves.

Artificial disc replacement or spinal fusion

When Dr. Bonaroti removes a disc or a significant portion of a vertebra, your spine becomes unstable. To restore strength and stability, he inserts an artificial disc or performs a spinal fusion.

If you suffer from chronic pain due to spinal stenosis, call Surgical Spine Associates or schedule an appointment online.