If you have been experiencing any sort of prolonged back, neck, leg or arm pain, the odds are good that you suffer from some degree of stenosis. Spinal stenosis occurs when the nerve roots of the spinal cord are compressed, causing inflammation and pain. This can be caused by an accident, age, or an underlying illness.
Types of Spinal Stenosis
There are two main types of spinal stenosis that most people suffer from:
1. Lumbar Stenosis, which can cause sciatica and numbness and pain in the lower back and legs
2. Cervical Stenosis, which is more serious and can actually choke off the spinal cord, causing all sorts of serious issues.
Stenosis Symptoms
The symptoms of spinal stenosis can vary depending on where the stenosis is located. For instance, spinal stenosis in the neck usually results in numbness, weakness and atingling feeling in the leg, foot, arm and/or hand. Neck and shoulder pain are also prevalent when the nerves in the neck are being compressed. . In severe cases of spinal stenosis of the neck, the nerves of the bladder and bowel can also be affected, causing incontinence.
Spinal Stenosis in the Lower Back
Spinal stenosis in the lower back (the lumbar region), usually causes cramping and pain in the legs. This becomes even more prevalent after sitting for a long time.
What Causes Spinal Stenosis?
There are a lot of things that can cause spinal stenosis and its accompanying symptoms. Just some of the things that can decrease the space in the spinal canal and cause the compression associated with spinal stenosis include:
Age
As we age, our bones and muscles begin to deteriorate, causing all sorts of health issues. Osteoarthritis can cause the growth of bone spurs around the spine, causing the spinal passages to become more compressed. Disk degeneration too, can cause the jelly-like fluid between your vertebra to bulge and swell, putting painful pressure on nerve roots. Even thickening ligaments can narrow the spinal canal and compress sensitive nerve endings.
Bone Disorders
Any type of bone disorder which affects the spine can cause painful compression. Paget’s Disease creates an environment which weakens bones (including the spine), ultimately deforming them. This, of course can cause the spine to compress and swell.
Tumors
Any abnormal growth in the spine can compress the canal, cause swelling. This will ultimately result in the unending pain of severe stenosis.
Injury
Any type of trauma that affects the spine and vertebrae can cause stenosis compression and pain.
Making a Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis
Even when a physician is sure that a patient suffers with spinals stenosis, several tests may be run to determine its extent; any damage that has resulted fro the compression to the vertebrae and nerves; and what treatments should be tried to help alleviate the patient’s pain.
Most doctors begin with an MRI or CT Scan to get a good look at the spine, vertebrae and surrounding nerves and tissues. Sometimes, x-rays may also be needed to evaluate bone growth, possible fractures and abnormalities.
Treatment Options for Spinal Stenosis
Once a distinct diagnosis has been made, your doctor may recommend the following non-surgical treatments to alleviate your spinal stenosis symptoms:
Exercise
While exercise alone can not cure spinal stenosis, it can help it from getting worse. In most cases, a certified physical therapist is needed to devise an exercise routine and teach the patient how to do each exercise for prolonged therapy at home.
Lifestyle Changes
When you suffer with spinal stenosis you sometimes have to relearn how to do certain activities a new way to help keep the spinal canal open and compression free. Some of the most common examples of these lifestyle changes may include sitting in a recliner chair instead of a straight backed chair; walking with a slight bend or leaning on a walker or shopping cart in lieu of walking upright; etc. The goal here is to keep the spine from compressing and creating a flare of inflammation and pain.
Epidural Injections
Injecting cortisone into the epidural space has been shown to alleviate spinal stenosis symptoms in about half of the patients who try it. Although not a cure, it can be used to alleviate pain for several months while giving other remedies such as physical therapy or even surgery a chance to offer a more permanent solution to your pain. The biggest downside to using epidural injections for spinal stenosis relief is that a patient can only undergo 3-4 shots over a course of several months and then must wait a year or more to begin the regiment again.
When experiencing spinal stenosis symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling and weakness of the legs and even arms, pain it is important to see your doctor for a complete workup and diagnosis. That is the only way to determine the extent of stenosis and the treatment options that will work best for