ABOUT THE DISEASE

The narrowing of the bony canal, through which the nerves and spinal cord pass, is referred to as spinal stenosis. This can put pressure on the both, the nerves and the spinal cord that travel through it to the limbs. Spinal stenosis mostly happens in the lower back and the neck.

It may cause no signs or symptoms in some people while pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and problems with normal bladder or bowel function in others.

Spinal stenosis is usually caused by wear-and-tear changes in the spine pertaining to osteoarthritis. In acute cases, doctors may recommend surgery to create extra space for the spinal cord or nerves.

SYMPTOMS

Depending upon the location of the stenosis, symptoms may vary:

• • In the neck (cervical spine): Cervical stenosis can cause numbness, weakness or tingling in limb, foot or hand. The most common symptom among all is tingling in the hand, though many people also report difficulty in walking and balance. Incontinence results in cases in which nerves to the bladder or bowel are affected.
• • In the lower back (lumbar spine): Compressed nerves in the lumbar spine can cause pain or cramping in the legs while standing for long or walking. The pain is usually relieved when the person bends forward or sits down.

CAUSES

There are many possible causes of spinal stenosis, such as:
• Instability of the spine, or spondylolisthesis
• Aging
• Trauma
• Tumors of the spine

DIAGNOSIS

Spinal stenosis is not always easy to diagnose because its signs and symptoms appear similar to those of many age-related conditions.
Following methods are used for diagnosis:
- Physical examination
- Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI scan, CT scan, or electromyelogram.

TREATMENT METHODS

Treatment options for spinal stenosis include:

• Changes in posture
• Rest
• In cases where the pressure on the nerves is caused by inflammatory swelling, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) such as aspirin or ibuprofen may be prescribed to help relieve symptoms.
• If other treatments fail to relieve the pain, surgery may be recommended to ease the pressure on affected nerves.

You may also like to learn about:

Vascular insufficiency
Osteomyelitis
Spinal tumor
Spinal cord injuries
Spina bifida
Ankylosing spondylitis