Spinal Stenosis

What is spinal stenosis?

Your spine is made up of 33 vertebrae that stretch from the base of your head down to your pelvis. These vertebrae are divided into five sections:

• Your cervical spine, or neck
• Your thoracic spine, or midback
• Your lumbar spine, or low back
• Your sacrum
• Your coccyx

As the foundation of your musculoskeletal structure, your spine plays several key roles, not the least of which is providing passage for your nervous system through your spinal canal. If this canal begins to narrow, it’s referred to as stenosis. Most cases of stenosis occur in the parts of your spine that move, namely your cervical spine and your lumbar spine.

Stenosis can be congenital, but, more often than not, it’s a result of wear-and-tear and degenerative diseases that come with age. In less common cases, spinal stenosis is caused by Paget’s disease, achondroplasia, spinal tumors, and spinal injuries.

What are the symptoms of spinal stenosis?

Many people with spinal stenosis are unaware of the condition while it develops, but when this honeymoon period ends, you may start to feel the effects, which vary depending upon the location of the stenosis.

With cervical stenosis, you may feel:

• Pain in your neck
• Pain that radiates down your shoulders and arms
• Poor hand coordination
• Numbness and tingling
• Balance or gait issues

With lumbar stenosis, the symptoms are typically:

• Pain in your low back that may radiate down your buttocks and legs
• Numbness or tingling in your lower body
• Trouble walking
• Foot drop

In both cases, the stenosis can affect your bladder function, but this isn’t terribly common.

How is spinal stenosis treated?

The team of spinal specialists at Neuro Pain Consultants brings a number of tools to bear when helping you overcome the effects of spinal stenosis. After confirming a stenosis through advanced imaging, they recommend a treatment plan that may include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Physical therapy
• Steroid injections
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic manipulation

If your symptoms don’t respond to these conservative approaches, your doctor may recommend a surgical solution for long-term relief, such as a laminectomy or spinal fusion.

If spinal stenosis is limiting your life, call one of the four Neuro Pain Consultants locations or fill out the online form to set up an appointment for relief.

Individual results may vary.