Health

All You Need To Know About Spinal Stenosis

Published

3 years ago

June 5, 2021

The spine is designed to protect the spinal cord. However, the spaces between the bones can narrow due to injury or aging, leading to a condition called spinal stenosis. It can induce pressure on the nerves that spread out from your spine, causing different symptoms that get worse with time. Worry no more as an interventional pain specialist in Houston provides treatments that relieve spinal stenosis symptoms.

How is spinal stenosis diagnosed?

Your doctor reviews your medical history, asks about the symptoms you are experiencing, and conducts a physical exam. While doing a physical exam, your doctor feels your spine by pressing it on different areas to see if you feel pain. Your doctor will ask you to bend in various directions to check if different spine positions bring pain or other symptoms. He also checks your balance, watches how you walk and move, and checks your leg and arm strength.

Your provider will do imaging tests to examine the spine and know the exact location, extent, and type of the problem. Some of the imaging tests include:

X-rays: it uses a small amount of radiation and shows changes in the bone structure, as the development of bone spurs and disk height narrows the spine’s spaces.

MRI: MRI uses radio waves and magnets to create images of the spine. MRI images give detailed images of the discs, spinal cord, nerves, and presence of tumors.

CT or CT myelogram: this scan is a combination of imaging that creates cross-sectional images of the vertebrae.

What causes spinal stenosis?

Arthritic spurs or bone overgrowth

Osteoarthritis is a condition that breaks down the cartilage in the joints, the spine included. Cartilage is the cover that protects the joints. When the cartilage wears, the bones start to rub against one another. The body responds by growing another bone. An overgrowth of the bone or bone spurs commonly occurs. Bone spurs extend to the spinal canal, pinching nerves and narrowing the space in the spine.

Bulging or herniated disk

Between every vertebra is a round, flat cushioning pad that acts as a shock absorber on the spine. Age-related flattening and drying out of vertebral disks and cracking on the outer part of the disk cause the disks’ gel-like center to tear or break the outer layer. The bulging disk presses on the nerves near the disk.

Symptoms of spinal stenosis

You may or may not have symptoms when spinal stenosis develops. Narrowing of the spinal canal is always a slow process and gets worse with time. Spinal stenosis can happen anywhere along the spine. Some lower back spinal stenosis symptoms include back pain, tingling or numbness in a leg or foot, weakness in the leg or foot, and cramping or pain in one or both legs. Other symptoms of spinal stenosis in the neck include neck pain, problems with walking and balance, and tingling in a hand or arm.

Many people with spinal stenosis live active lives, but they must adjust their routine exercise or daily activities to assist in managing the symptoms of spinal stenosis. Your healthcare provider can prescribe medications, surgery treatments, or physical therapy to relieve pain and other symptoms. Talk with your doctor to know more about spinal stenosis causes and treatment options.

Health

The Secret Behind Life Alert’s Superior Service

Published

6 days ago

September 11, 2024

Michelle Langton

Photo courtesy of Life Alert via Shutterstock

When Amy Skidmore’s mother was discharged from rehab after a stroke, the prospect of giving up her independence was terrifying. Having lived alone and freely since her husband’s passing in 2000, the transition from rehab to home was filled with uncertainty and anxiety for both Amy and her mother.

Life Alert Emergency Response changed everything for them. Amy’s mother regained her confidence in living independently with a simple press of a button. The ease of having help at her fingertips relieved her and Amy of fear. Amy now has peace of mind that her mother is safe, and her mother is happy to maintain her independent lifestyle. This mirrors experiences of countless families who have depended on Life Alert’s service for nearly 40 years.

Various Devices to Suit Every Need

The company offers a comprehensive range of medical alert devices designed to provide protection at home and on the go. For in-home security, members can choose a state-of-the art Micro Voice Pendant and a waterproof wall-mounted Help Button, both of which offer two-way communication capabilities.

The pendant is designed to be worn at all times, even in the shower, while the wall button can be placed in high-risk areas like bathrooms.

For those with active lifestyles, Life Alert also provides a help button with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, which pinpoints the subscriber’s location so responders can find them quickly. Like all the devices from Life Alert, it does not require charging.

Exclusive Dispatch Center

Life Alert distinguishes itself with its in-house Monitoring Centers, all located in the United States. According to a representative from the company, this allows Life Alert to maintain high standards and have consistent, rapid response times. The Monitoring Centers provide round-the-clock protection and immediate emergency assistance.

Case in point, we found that Life Alert is the only medical alert company proven to save a life every 11 minutes.

The in-house setup also means that Life Alert can maintain control over the quality of its service, unlike competitors who outsource their monitoring to third-party call centers. This direct oversight also ensures that every call is handled with the utmost care and professionalism.

Extensive Dispatcher Training

Complementing its dispatch center is the training of its staff before they start handling emergency calls. This training includes learning about the Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) industry. The dispatchers must also complete a Care and Concern course to better understand the emotional needs of members and their families.

Maintaining a high staff-to-member ratio is another crucial aspect of the company’s superior service. There are multiple dispatchers available to handle calls promptly and provide personalized attention to each subscriber. This allows dispatchers to effectively perform their duties attentively without ever leaving the subscriber, and to provide fast help when every second counts.

Tailoring Responses to Individual Needs

Life Alert customizes its emergency response protocols to meet each member’s needs. As a HIPAA compliant company, when subscribers sign up for the service, they provide detailed information about their medical history, emergency contacts, and special instructions.

Dispatchers can then access this information during an emergency to send appropriate help immediately. This allows subscribers and their family to have a sense of security and peace of mind knowing loved ones are being taken care of by the one and only Life Alert.

Long-Term Customer Relationships

Reflecting its dedication to consistent, high-quality, lifesaving services, Life Alert has a loyal fanbase with its subscribers, who have been with them for years and even decades. They even have a list of thousands of subscribers who joined the Life Alert family after having another service that failed them. The company takes pride in the trust it has built with its members.

Life Alert is always ready and reliable, turning years of service into a legacy of care. The secret behind Life Alert’s superior service? It’s their uncanny ability to make “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!®“ sound less like a punchline and more like a lifeline to getting help fast, 24/7.