I just read a really good book for patients on rehabbing spinal stenosis, by physical therapist Terri Night: “Rehab Your Own Spinal Stenosis: Strategies to Improve the Health of Your Spine”. First of all it is very encouraging, pointing out that a lot of older folks have spinal stenosis and have no symptoms. She points out that various factors such as inflammation and hydration status, over which we have considerable control, play a major role in how severe symptoms might be. She has worked with many patients over the years who did have severe symptoms, often worse than mine, and they significantly improved using the strategies outlined in the book, including aerobic exercise, stretching of the spine and hips, strengthening of the muscles around the spine, and lifestyle changes. There is a final discussion on surgical options in case symptoms persist, or if you have more severe symptoms like numbness or loss of bladder control.
I got some very good ideas from this on how to modify activities to avoid flaring up my lumbar spine, as well as new exercises to try. I highly recommend this book for anyone with spinal stenosis.
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