Spinal stenosis care in Meridian, Mississippi

Spinal stenosis means the space around the spinal nerves has narrowed. In the low back, this usually happens slowly over years as discs flatten, joints enlarge with arthritis, and ligaments thicken. The narrowing can squeeze the nerves that run to the legs.

A common pattern is neurogenic claudication: pain, heaviness, numbness, or tingling in the buttocks and legs that comes on with standing or walking and eases when you sit or lean forward. Many people notice they can walk farther while leaning on a shopping cart.

I am Edward Smith, M.D., a fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon at Meridian Orthopaedic Specialists. I evaluate and treat spinal stenosis. I see patients in Meridian and serve patients from across east Mississippi and west Alabama.

Symptoms patients often notice

  • Leg pain, heaviness, or fatigue with walking or standing that improves with sitting
  • Low back pain, often with stiffness
  • Numbness or tingling in one or both legs
  • A shorter and shorter walking distance over time
  • Less often, leg weakness or balance problems

Leg pain with walking can also come from poor circulation, hip arthritis, or other problems. Part of the evaluation is sorting out which one is driving your symptoms.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away if you have new loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or sudden severe leg weakness.

Diagnosis

Evaluation includes a focused spine, nerve, and hip exam and a review of your walking tolerance. X-rays are available in our office and can show arthritis, alignment, and any slipping of one vertebra on another. MRI confirms where and how severely the nerves are narrowed when that will guide treatment.

Treatment approach

Most people start with non-surgical care, and many manage stenosis well with it:

  • Physical therapy focused on core strength, flexibility, and walking tolerance
  • Activity changes, such as walking with a slight forward lean or using a stationary bike
  • Medications for pain and inflammation when appropriate
  • Epidural steroid injections through our pain management team to calm irritated nerves

Surgery may be considered when leg symptoms keep limiting your walking and daily life despite conservative care, or when weakness is progressing. The usual goal is decompression: removing bone, ligament, or disc that is crowding the nerves (for example, a laminectomy). If the spine is also unstable or slipping, a fusion may be part of the plan. Surgery can include minimally invasive and endoscopic options when they fit. They may not be right for every patient or every diagnosis. Many decompression procedures can be done as outpatient surgery at our ambulatory surgery center.

We talk through risks, benefits, and recovery in plain terms before any procedure.

Care close to home

Spinal stenosis evaluation, X-rays, therapy, injections, and surgery when needed are available through Meridian Orthopaedic Specialists. Call 601.385.9111.

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