5 Little Known Facts About Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis involves the narrowing of the spinal canal, which results in pressure on the spinal cord and the surrounding nerves.

 

Symptoms of this condition include numbness, pain and loss of motor control. The part of the body that is affected by stenosis is determined by the location of the stenosis.

 

When a person if affected by stenosis, his or her spinal canal becomes narrow, therefore, compressing the nerve root. This compression of the nerve root is what causes pain.

 

Most of the people who get the condition are the elderly. Young people who might have been born with a narrow spinal canal or individuals who have their spinal cord injured during an accident may get this condition too.

 

In some instances, arthritis has been known to result in stenosis of the spine.

 

Other causes of this ailment include too much fluoride in the body, deposits of calcium on the ligaments, or tumors of the spine.

 

Spinal stenosis results to low back pain, pain in the legs, clumsiness that is accompanied by frequent falling, numbness and pain when walking.

 

Lumbar stenosis involves the nerve roots in the lower back getting compressed. This leads to weakness, tingling, or numbness that can originate from the low back to the legs and buttocks.

 

Cervical stenosis refers to the spinal stenosis pain in the neck region. This occurs as a result of compression of the spinal cord. The compression of the spinal cord is dangerous as it usually leads to extreme weakness or paralysis.

 

When diagnosing an individual for the disease, a health practitioner does a comprehensive evaluation of the spine. Patient’s medical history is checked followed by a thorough physical examination.

 

To fully understand the location and extent of the nerve comprehension, MRI scan and X-ray are performed. MRI is commonly used for the diagnosis of the stenosis because it uses electromagnetic signals to produce detailed images of the spine. MRI is recommended because it shows more body structures like the muscles, ligaments and nerves.

 

Treatment of stenosis comprises of surgical and nonsurgical methods.

 

Depending on the level of the condition, your doctor may decide to refer you to other specialists like neurologists, rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons or physical therapists. Noninvasive methods of treatment comprise of the use of medicines to relieve pain and limiting physical activity.