Types of Spinal Stenosis

spinal stenosis

There are 3 main types of spinal stenosis found in the human backbone. Stenosis is one of the most common potentially degenerative back and neck pain conditions diagnosed and treated within the modern dorsopathy industry and may relate to a great number of causative conditions. Being that spinal stenosis is such a broad and often confusing topic, patients are advised to do diligent research once diagnosed, in order to better their chances for effective and successful treatment.

So, what exactly is spinal stenosis anyway? The term stenosis means a narrowing or decrease in available space. When applied in various sections of the spine, this condition describes situations in which typical anatomical spaces are narrowed due to one or more causative or contributory structural issues. Spinal stenosis is a normal and expected part of the aging process for most people and in mild to moderate forms is unlikely to enact any pain or related neurological symptoms at all. All varieties of spinal stenosis can be found anywhere in the spine, but are most prevalent in the mid to lower cervical levels and the lower lumbar levels.

There are 3 different varieties of spinal stenosis. The first, central canal stenosis, also called central spinal stenosis, is the most dangerous and potentially the most symptomatic. This condition is described as a narrowing of the main spinal canal which contains the thecal sac, the spinal nerves and the spinal cord itself. This central canal runs throughout the spine, down through the vertebral foramen, which is the large open hole in the middle of each vertebral bone. Central canal stenosis usually enacts symptoms on the spinal cord in the cervical and thoracic levels and the cauda equina in the lumbar levels. Effects can range from none to complete disability, making central stenosis a highly variable and potentially lethal diagnostic verdict.

Neuroforaminal stenosis is a different kind of spinal narrowing. At each vertebral level, nerves branch off the spinal cord and exit the spinal canal through openings called neuroforamen, or simply, foramen. When these openings become narrowed, the patient may be diagnosed with foraminal stenosis. If the opening becomes closed off to a sizable degree, the nerve may become compressed as it tries to exit the spinal canal. This is commonly called a pinched nerve, or in medical terms, a compressive neuropathy.

The last major type of spinal stenosis is called lateral stenosis or lateral recess stenosis. The lateral recess is the area to the sides of the spinal canal through which the nerve roots must pass as they head towards the neuroforamen. Certain conditions can cause narrowing in this anatomical region as well, enacting the lateral stenosis condition. Of all types of stenosis, this one is the most rare for actually causing symptoms, since the lateral recess is more than large enough to accommodate most nerves despite a significant degree of stenotic change.

All the types of spinal stenosis may or may not be the root source of pain and other neurological effects. Diagnosis of the condition is often faulted and many patients are misdiagnosed as suffering from the condition when they are actually merely demonstrating the normal and expected structural changes associate with spinal aging. In order to better understand the complete spinal stenosis diagnosis, I strongly advise continuing your research on the subject before seeking any drastic method of care. The Cure Back Pain Network website listed in the resource section is a perfect place to begin.