Here’s an amazing lumbar spinal stenosis recovery story:
Michael O’Toole has crossed the finish line in 35 marathons in his lifetime.
Just a couple of years ago he placed 3rd in a 5K race.
This may not sound so impressive…until you realize that Michael O’Toole is now 82 years old (or 82 years young as he would say).
After dealing with leg pain that kept him from his favorite sport for 2 years (while doctors’ and chiropractors’ treatments keep failing), O’Toole was finally diagnosed through MRI with spinal stenosis.
Two neurosurgeons recommended surgery as the only solution for his spinal stenosis. But O’Toole was determined to avoid surgery. He decided to take control of his own body.
Overview
Can Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Be Reversed?
Lumbar spinal stenosis may not be completely reversed, but if diagnosed early, you can definitely slow down and even reverse spinal stenosis symptoms.
More importantly, having lumbar spinal stenosis does NOT mean that you have to suffer from PAIN.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis is not a life-threatening condition, and millions around the world are happily going about their day, completely unaware that they have spinal stenosis…
Because they feel NO PAIN.
You can be pain-free too – without dangerous prescription drugs, cortisone shots (which were found to be useless in a recent study) and definitely without spinal surgery.
Even if you were not diagnosed early, and your back pain (or leg pain) is severe, it doesn’t mean that you can’t dramatically relieve it and get back to an active life – without surgery.
How Did Michael O’Toole Get Rid of His Spinal Stenosis Pain?
Michael O’Toole, desperate to stop his leg pain and get back to his loved sport – simply sat down and did his research. He googled his eyes out and stumbled upon the Healthy Back Institute Website.
There, among other things, he found an exercise program that can be tailored exactly to his condition.
He did the self-assessment part, diagnosed the muscle imbalances that caused his problem and the first place, and religiously followed the specific exercises he was given.
Today he is pain-free. He was so excited he even agreed to be interviewed for the Healthy Back Institute Website (You can see it if you click on his image)
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Symptoms and Causes
Spinal stenosis is the medical name for what happens when the spaces between the spine begin to narrow. This, in turn, puts pressure on your spine as well as the nerves that travel through and around the spine.
Although spinal stenosis can occur in the middle region of the spine, it’s more common in the lumbar and cervical regions.
When the lumbar spine narrows, it can cause intense back pain, neck pain, and pain running down the leg.
While some experience mild to severe pain radiating throughout the back, others experience numbness in the neck, arms, legs, back, and buttocks.
This spine narrowing usually affects 40-year-old and above people and can be caused by osteoarthritis-related bone damage, herniated discs, scar tissue build-up, spinal injuries, inflammation and in rare cases a tumor.
The 3-Step Formula to Get Rid of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Pain
Step #1 – Natural Inflammation Treatment
Inflammation is almost always present with pain (source), and can be the actual cause of your lumbar stenosis.
Instead of the prescribed and dangerous NSAIDs, like Ibuprofen, treat your inflammation with natural remedies for spinal stenosis.
1. Turmeric, Ginger, Papaya, and Boswellia are only some of the most powerful anti-inflammation foods and herbs.
Turmeric, for example, is the most clinically researched food on the planet, with many studies proving its amazing ability to fight inflammation – Without side effects.
2. Proteolytic Enzyme Therapy is another safer solution for inflammation throughout your body. Combining Proteolytic enzymes with anti-inflammation foods and herbs makes a powerful natural inflammation treatment.
(Here’s a high-quality supplement that combines these)
3. Reduce, as much as you can, your intake of inflammatory foods, such as meat, dairy, processed sugar, fried foods, and all processed foods.
4. Far Infrared Therapy – far-infrared heat helps to improve circulation to bring more healing oxygen and nutrients to injured areas of the spine.
More than that, Infrared heat will make you sweat out your toxins, without moving a muscle.
Find out more about the astonishing benefits of infrared heating pads – HERE.
Step #2 – Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy is an important part of any spinal stenosis treatment.
Almost everyone with lumbar stenosis has trigger points and should find a way to administer self trigger point therapy every day, immediately followed by specific spinal stenosis exercises (in the next step below).
The easiest (and the most cost-effective) way to self treat your trigger points is to get a good quality home trigger point massage tool.
Another option is a trigger point foam roller.
Here are 3 easy ways to relieve trigger points in the lower back.
Step #3 – Lumbar Stenosis Exercises
If you’ll allow me to return to Michael O’Toole for a second, you’ll realize that generic and random lumbar stenosis exercises may not be helpful, and can even cause more harm than good.
That’s why I’m not going to post another youtube video with some random “spinal stenosis exercises” for you here.
Michael O’Tool implemented the Healthy Back Institute Muscle Balance Therapy workout, which was tailored for the exact muscle imbalances he had.
Muscle balance therapy starts with self-assessing and finding your specific muscle imbalances, followed by specific exercises that restore balance and proper function of your muscles and joints.
You can check it out and decide for yourself at the Healthy Back Institute Website.
Conclusion
Although spinal stenosis is a progressive condition, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be halted and even reversed. And it doesn’t have to inflict pain and debilitation.
And you don’t have to run and do surgery, especially if you haven’t tried these effective natural treatments.
Just ask Michael O’Toole (this guy is my hero…)
To your health and happiness,
Meital
I have spinal stenosis, Fibromyalgia and IBS. The methods here -food wise are either way too expensive for someone on Canadian Disability or flare my IBS. I have tried Cortisone shots,(10 rounds-8 shots per round), but they only work for a week or so. I spend 40-50 minutes daily doing stretching and range of motion exercises recommended by my physio-therapist. I am 46 years old, and less than 5 years ago-I was hiking trails and working physical labour many hours daily–now–just over 30 minutes of regular walking or colouring, causes crippling pain for many hours after.
Doctors say I do not qualify for surgery.
What else can I do?
Hi. Get a second opinion. Also I respect the holistic approach but meital is talking about people with minimal pain. We have serious severe spinal nerve pain. Pain medicine makes it somewhat tolerable for me. Good luck. Did you get an MRI Or CT. As soon as my surgeon saw my results he said I need surgery and wrote me a script for pain meds which I had requested. Good luck
Hi Christina,
A 47 year old male on Canadian disability, frustrated! The system will allow me to access free opiates(gave up on them after it made things worse due to how it worsened my body awareness and posture, no thanks) and a low monthly allowance that barely covers expenses.
They are willing to put me on ten different meds for everything from trazadone to gabapentin to plauquenil, anti inflamatories, etc, which is costly to the govt. and didn’t help whatsoever.
I stopped all the meds after about 4 years on them, still getting worse and worse.
All this, and they will not pay for physiotherapy. To me that is insane, or wrong, or diabolical, take your pick. Constant pain, lumbar stenosis, neurosurgeon said ‘I cannot help you, try swimming” and swimming makes me feel like hell. I started drinking to cope. Finally I quit that because I was getting depressed, even just moderate drinking 4 beers in 6 hours, made me feel numb and for a short while, able to feel joy. Wears off, and then, I’m worse for wear.
I’m starting my own physio program, based on personal research so I’m hopeful but I feel totally abandoned by the system. Why are they willing to give me powerful opioids but not phsyio? It’s maddening. I share your pain, oh do I ever. What you could do is try some exercises as shown on youtube, and figure out what feels better or worse after 2 weeks.
Also, acupuncture is helping me, I go to a TCM training college for 10$ sessions… Have to skip a lunch to afford it but it does help. Massage therapy(again, at a college by student practitioners, 10 bucks, makes me feel horrible for days, can barely think due to the spinal pain and headache afterward. However, in my experience, RMTs and TCM practitioners seem to have better advice and a higher degree of compassion and understanding than my physicians do. The docs just say we can’t help you. I’ve begged for physio referrals, gotten them, only to be told that in BC they cover 23 dollars of the 300 dollar an hour cost. Get real. I hope you find a way. And that I do too. Blessed be.
Hi, I was just diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis. I’m a 69 year old woman in excellent health otherwise. I’ve read many opinions online and don’t know who to trust. I’m getting ready to have injections. What can you tell me about my chances for a “real” solution outside injections and surgery? I need the truth from someone out there. Thank you kindly,DP
Hi Donna:) I am not a doctor so I can’t promise things the way they do. It depends on what you mean by a “real” solution. Through my research, I have seen people who experienced significant pain relief using alternative methods such as inversion table (or other back traction devices), thermal therapy, massage therapy, exercise, and more. Maybe you would want to try these things before surgery. Injections are a temporary pain and inflammation solution, and maybe you can try them and if they work you can try these alternative methods – before you go to surgery. This is just my opinion, and I hope this helps.
Hello Donna,
I was told last Christmas that I would become paralysed and doubly incontinent very soon and that the only solution was to try a spinal epidural. This was arranged and had no effect whatsoever. I then sought a second opinion and underwent spinal decompression surgery in June 2021. I walked on the same day as the operation had taken place and was discharged from hospital within 36hours. In the weeks and months leading up to surgery, I was very worried but as the alternative was pretty dreadful I had no choice but to go ahead with surgery.
Within four weeks I was able to walk two to three miles every day with our Labrador, do light housework, shopping and gardening – all very carefully and slowly compared to how I used to be. By the way, I was 69 when diagnosed, am a size 10 and weigh 9stones, 5feet 5 inches tall. Recovery apparently takes up to 18 months but I am doing very well. Of course there is some pain but nothing like the excruciating pain in legs and lower back prior to surgery. Hope this helps.
How to decrease the pain from the lumbar down to the buttock, thigh, lower limbs , feeling numbness especially walking an hour on treadmill, traveling by airplane for 14 hours , feeling very painful of the low back . What is the treatment for mild case . How do I decrease the pain not to be getting worse than ever . What kind of food and exercise good for it .
What you describe seems like Sciatica. Here’s my post about how to treat it naturally: https://pain-in-lower-back.com/low-back-sciatica-home-treatment/
is very helpful, would love to see more of the foods that are beneficial for this type of atrophy -and exercises ,
Exercising. Flexing, stretching and strengthening exercises may help open up the spine. Talk with a physical therapist or your doctor about what exercises are safe to do at home.
How can I get a copy of the book? PLEASE HELP!
Which book are you referring to?