People suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a common spinal problem affecting more than 1.4 million Americans, now have an alternative to epidural injections and traditional spine surgery.

Western Baptist Hospital now offers X-STOP to treat LSS, a narrowing in the lower part of the spinal canal that occurs with aging. As the space in the lower spine shrinks, the nerves passing through the spinal canal can become squeezed, resulting in pain in the leg, buttocks, groin and sometimes back.

Neurosurgeon Allan Gocio, M.D., said people with back pain caused by work or activities benefit most from the procedure.

“A good candidate for the X-STOP procedure is someone 50 or older who experiences relief from pain when bending forward,” said Dr. Gocio.

A minimally-invasive outpatient procedure, X-STOP can be performed in 45 to 90 minutes under local anesthesia. A titanium alloy implant is inserted in the spine, limiting extension of the lumbar spine and keeping the canal open. The implant is removable and does not prevent a patient from having surgery at a later time, if needed.

Dr. Gocio said benefits include a quicker recovery time and improved quality of life.

“Patients generally are able to return to normal activities within days of the procedure,” said Dr. Gocio. “They immediately notice improvements in completing everyday tasks with much less pain.”

To learn more about X-STOP or other spinal surgeries at Western Baptist, phone Baptist Health Line at (270) 575-2918.