Hi, Rob Fox here from Silverfox Fitness. As a certified fitness instructor with over 30 years of experience working with seniors and mature adults at the Chaplin Family YMCA in Cambridge, Ontario, I’ve witnessed countless individuals struggling with spinal stenosis.
This common condition affects the majority of people over 50, causing pain, numbness, and reduced mobility that can significantly impact quality of life.
The good news? With the right exercises and understanding of your condition, you can manage symptoms and maintain an active lifestyle.
In this guide, I’ll share evidence-based information about spinal stenosis along with seven practical exercises I’ve used successfully in my “Move Together Strength” classes to help seniors reduce nerve pressure, improve spinal flexibility, and regain confidence in their movement.
What is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis happens when the space inside the backbone is too small.
This can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine.
Spinal stenosis happens most often in the lower back and the neck.
Some people with spinal stenosis have no symptoms.
Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness.
Symptoms usually get worse over time. For some, very quickly too!
Most people with spinal stenosis are over age 50.
Younger people may be at higher risk of spinal stenosis in today’s modern era, since they are looking down at phones a lot and or sitting too much!
Causes of Spinal Stenosis
The most common cause of spinal stenosis is wear-and-tear damage in the spine related to arthritis.
Spinal bones are stacked in a column from the skull to the tailbone. They protect the spinal cord, which runs through an opening called the spinal canal.
Some people are born with a small spinal canal so they have to work harder at keeping things right.
But most spinal stenosis occurs when something happens to reduce the amount of open space within the spine.
Such as …
1, Bone Spurs – Wear-and-tear damage from arthritis can cause extra bone to grow on the spine. This creates bone spurs that can push into the spinal canal. Paget’s disease also can cause extra bone to grow on the spine.
2. Herniated Disks – Disks are the soft cushions that act as shock absorbers between the spinal bones. If part of the disk’s soft inner material leaks out, it can press on the spinal cord or nerves.
3. Thick Ligaments – The strong cords that help hold the bones of the spine together can become stiff and thick over time. Thick ligaments can push into the spinal canal.
4. Tumors – Rarely, tumors can form inside the spinal canal.
5. Spinal Injuries – Car accidents and other trauma can cause spinal bones to break or move out of place. Swelling of nearby tissue right after back surgery also can put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.
Diagnosis
Your healthcare professional may ask about your symptoms and medical history.
You may have a physical exam.
You also may need an imaging test to help find the problem:
- An X-ray of the back can show bone changes that may be making the space within the spinal canal smaller. Each X-ray involves a small dose of radiation.
- An MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to produce detailed images of hard and soft tissue. The test can detect damage to the disks and ligaments. It also can show whether tumors are present.
- A CT scan combines X-ray images taken from many different angles. In a CT myelogram, a contrast dye is injected to outline the spinal cord and nerves. This can show herniated disks, bone spurs and tumors.
Treatment
Treatment for spinal stenosis depends on how severe your symptoms are.
If common pain relievers don’t provide enough relief, prescription NSAIDs might be helpful.
Nightly doses of tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, can help ease chronic pain.
Some anti-seizure drugs, such as gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise), are used to reduce pain caused by damaged nerves.
Opiod meds such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, others) may be used but can be habit-forming.
Steroid shots is when your doctor would Inject a steroid medicine into the space around the pinched nerve to help reduce the swelling and relieve some of the pain.
There are side effects to these “shots” such as bones, muscles, and tendons might weaken.
The ligament at the back of the lower spine, also called the lumbar spine, gets too thick. Needlelike tools inserted through the skin can remove some of the ligament.
This can create more space in the spinal canal to reduce pressure on nerve roots.
You may be given medicine to help you feel calm during the procedure.
Surgery
Surgeries to create more space within the spinal canal may include:
- Laminectomy surgery removes the back part of the affected spinal bone. This part of the bone is called the lamina. This process eases pressure on the nerves by making more space around them. Sometimes, that bone may need to be linked to nearby spinal bones with metal hardware and a bone graft.
- Laminotomy surgery removes only part of the lamina. The surgeon carves a hole just big enough to relieve pressure in a specific spot.
- Laminoplastomy surgery is done only on spinal bones in the neck. It makes the space within the spinal canal bigger by creating a hinge on the lamina. Metal hardware bridges the gap in the opened section of the spine.
In most cases, these operations help reduce spinal stenosis symptoms.
But some people’s symptoms stay the same or get worse after surgery.
These surgeries come with risks such as infections, blood clots, and membrane tears.
Physical Therapy
The key exercise goal is to:
- Keep the spine flexible.
- Strengthen the Core and hip muscles.
- Reduce pressure on the spinal nerves with fascia movements
- Improve posture, balance and walking tolerance.
Recommended Exercises
1. Standing Pelvic Tilt
How:
- Stand tall with knees slightly bent, feet flat and shoulder width apart, hands on hips.
- Tighten your ab muscles and gently slouch, hold for few seconds then arch back slightly with tail coming forward, hold again for a few seconds
- Repeat 10–15 times.
Why it helps: Builds gentle core control and encourages spinal alignment.
Be aware: Don’t arch your back or hold your breath.
2. Knee-to-Chest Seated
How:
- Sit tall in a hard chair with legs apart and knees over ankles.
- Pull one knee up and toward your chest holding leg just below the knee.
- Hold 15 seconds, then switch legs.
- Repeat 2–3 times per side.
Why it helps: Opens space in the spinal canal by flexing the spine.
Be aware: Avoid jerking or pulling too hard.
3. Cat-Cow Standing
How:
- Stands tall with legs shoulder width apart, arms at your sides.
- As you breathe in head goes up, shoulders go back, chest gets wide – hold briefly
- As you exhale, heads goes down with chin tucked, abs feel tight and back shoulders come forward
- Repeat slowly 10 times.
Why it helps: Increases spinal flexibility and relieves tension.
Be aware: Keep movements slow and controlled; avoid overextending the lower back.
4. Seated Forward Bend
How:
- Sit in a sturdy chair with legs apart and knees over ankles.
- Take a deep breath in through the nose.
- With hands behind your head, gently roll back exhaling as you go, letting your elbows push back and head looks up at the ceiling
- Inhale deeply again through the nose.
- As you fold forward and exhaling through the mouth, your chin touches your chest while your elbows head toward your knees.
- Hold, breathe, think, and
- Repeat slowly up and back elbows and head leading the way.
Why it helps: Flexes the spine to relieve nerve pressure (especially for lumbar stenosis).
Be aware: Rest a bit and then Rise Slowly because when your head goes below your head, your blood pressure changes.
5. Standing with a Weight Shift
How:
- Stand tall and in neutral with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders back and down, push chin back into neck with ears over shoulders
- with feet firmly planted on the ground, shift weight forward and hold, backward and hold, and hold for a few seconds on each side
- try the 4 position holds again with eyes closed
Why it helps: This posture aligns the spinal canal and often reduces pain, but not alwyas. When you try the exercise with eyes closed, your CORE will work harder to hold you in place.
Be aware: Hold a counter or walker or chair until you don’t feel uneasy and then practise often with longer holds and eyes closed.
6 Wall Bridging
How:
- Stand with your back to the wall out a bit from the wall. If this exercise is too easy, step further away from the wall.
- Remember to deep breathe exhaling on the movement.
- Breath in and then on the exhale, lift arms str8 out in front and hold.
- Take another inhale and exhale your way to arms overhead.
- After another breath in, arch back reaching for the wall behind with your finger tips.
- After another inhale, return arms to the vertical position and slowly out front and then relax.
- Repeat a few times taking things very slowly and paying attention to how your body feels.
- It might feel uncomfortable but stop if you experience PAIN!
Why it helps: Strengthens glutes and core muscles that support the spine.
Be aware: Maybe talk to your doctor before trying this exercise.
7. Low Impact Walking
How:
- Find a safe flat smooth surface long enough for 5 regular steps.
- A hallway works for me because I touch the walls easily if I need to..
- Walk 5 steps slowly forward thinking about “heel toe” movement.
- Make sure you are standing tall with your hips in neutral.
- Walk the 5 steps backwards thinking about “toe heel” movement.
- Repeat several times.
- When you get really good at this, try it with eyes closed.
Why it helps: Slow walking strengthens back muscles, improves circulation to nourish spinal tissues, promotes flexibility and balance. The backward walking has even more benefits like strengthening your core muscles which keep your spine in the right position.
Cautions!!!
Practise Makes Permanent … Take Your Time and Do It Right … Check with your Doctor … Stand Tall and Sit Up Straight
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