What You Should Know About Spinal Stenosis

spinal stenosis

One of the most difficult periods of anyone's life is when they realize that they can no longer do the things that they used to be able to, all because of aches and pains that develop with advancing age. It is not fun to realize that we cannot run, walk or jump like we used to, especially when it comes to dealing with lower back pain. Many times that pain can be written off as simple arthritis, but so few of us realize that it may be a lot more than that. It may, in fact, be a condition known as spinal stenosis.

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition that occurs when something is constantly putting pressure on the spinal nerve that runs through the same channel of bone as the spinal cord. Arthritis in the lower back is the leading
cause of this condition, because it can thicken the bones of the spine and cause spurs to press upon the nerve. It can also be caused by overgrown ligaments, grown larger through overuse, from bending and lifting. They simply begin to crowd out the nerve, causing chronic pressure.

Types of Spinal Stenosis and their Symptoms

There are three main types of spinal stenosis: cervical, thoracic, and lumbar.

- Cervical Stenosis: Cervical stenosis involves the neck, shoulders and arms. The pinched nerve causes chronic pain and weakness in the neck and shoulders and in some cases may have been caused by a spinal cord injury. When it involves the cord, you may have pain in your legs as well, and have difficulty walking.

- Thoracic Stenosis: Thoracic is the rarest type of this painful condition, simply because arthritis does not always affect the bones along the spine of the middle back. If it does occur, it is almost always due to either a spinal cord injury, or a herniated disc. The lumbar type is the most common, because if arthritis is indeed affecting the bones within the spinal column, it will start in the area most frequently used during a person's life span: the lower back.

- Lumbar Stenosis: Lumbar stenosis will cause chronic back pain and cause weakness in one or both legs to occur. The changes in the way your spinal nerves function in this situation can also cause a host of other problems and will affect primarily the lower body. The first noticeable sign other than chronic pain is that you will find yourself adjusting or being limited in how you walk. You may find yourself hunching forward or dragging your feet because walking upright is too painful. You may lose sensation in your feet; some people are unable to even feel the floor beneath them. Another common complaint of this condition is a weakness in the legs, which prevents you from being able to easily rise from a sitting position or makes it difficult to lift your legs from one step to another.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will need to have a complete history of your pain including when it occurs, how often and what other physical limitations you may be experiencing. If your doctor suspects the onset of stenosis, there will be a physical exam, followed by a neurological exam to pinpoint the location of the nerve being affected. Other tests, like X-rays and CAT scans may also be implemented to give the doctor a clear view of what is happening.

Treatment

Conservative treatments through exercise, particularly flexions, as well as targeted physical therapy will help alleviate the pain. Chiropractic adjustments, regular massages and acupuncture have also been proven to help in a therapeutic way.

Other treatments may involve muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory medications and spinal cord stimulation. In extreme cases, surgery to repair herniated discs, cortisone treatments and even nerve blockers may be applied to alleviate the chronic pain.