The mild® procedure
When a thickened ligament crowds the lower spinal canal, removing a small amount of tissue may help ease standing and walking symptoms.
What problem does mild treat?
Spinal stenosis means there is less room for nerves in the spine. In the lower back, a thick band of tissue called a ligament can be part of the narrowing. It may press on nerves when you stand or walk.
Your legs may ache, tingle, or feel heavy. Sitting or leaning forward may help. Other problems can cause similar symptoms, so a scan alone is not enough to choose care.
How does the procedure work?
The mild procedure removes small amounts of excess ligament tissue through a small opening in the lower back. Special tools and live images help the doctor reach the area. The goal is to make more room for the crowded nerves.
No implant stays in the spine. This differs from an injection, which places medicine near a nerve to calm swelling. It also differs from a larger operation. The right choice depends on what is causing the narrowing.
How do you decide whether it fits?
We ask how long you can stand or walk before you need a break. We review your strength, feeling, scans, and past care. The thickened ligament must be a meaningful part of the problem. Mild is not a treatment for all types of stenosis or all back pain.
Some people need a different procedure or a spine surgery evaluation. We explain how your symptoms and anatomy guide that choice.
Your comfort and your visit
Before treatment, we give you food, drink, medicine, and ride instructions. Tell us about allergies, blood thinners, and recent health changes. Do not change medicine without advice from the team managing it.
Your clinician explains the numbing and sedation plan for this procedure. After you are comfortable, images guide the tools through the small opening. The tools are removed at the end, and the skin is covered. You are checked before leaving with home care instructions.
Build activity back into your day
Your team gives you an activity plan suited to your health and treatment. This may include a gradual return to walking and other daily tasks. Follow your directions about bathing, lifting, work, and driving. Do not assume another person's recovery schedule fits you.
At follow-up, tell us how far you can walk, how long you can stand, and when you need to rest. Relief and the pace of recovery vary. We look at function as well as pain.
Talk through the choice
Ask what part of the narrowing will be treated and what may remain. Before you decide, your clinician will review the expected benefits, risks, recovery, and other options. Written instructions and follow-up remain part of your care.
Common questions
Does mild use a steroid or an implant?
The main goal is to remove excess tissue, not deliver a steroid. No implant is left behind. Your clinician explains any medicines used for your visit.
Will I be back to normal the next day?
Recovery differs. Follow your own activity plan and build up as advised. We do not promise a next-day result.
Can it help stenosis in the neck?
This guide describes selected narrowing in the lower back, not the neck. A separate evaluation is needed for neck symptoms.
Sources behind this guide
Learn more from these professional and manufacturer resources. Your care plan and written instructions are specific to you.