Spinal Stenosis

Background information about spinal stenosis.

What is spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a condition that is caused by a narrowing in the vertebral canal or vertebral foramina of the spine. The narrowing causes compression of either the spinal cord (if the compression is within the vertebral canal), or the nerve roots that exit the spinal cord (if the compression is within the vertebral foramina).

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Compression of these structures leads to the common symptoms experienced by patients who have spinal stenosis, most often pain and numbness in the extremities, and back pain. When the narrowing, or spinal stenosis, is in the cervical (neck) region of the spine, symptoms are experienced in the arm and hands. When the spinal stenosis is in the lumbar (low back) region, the most common symptoms are in the legs and feet.

Who gets spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis affects men and women equally, and most often is seen in individuals over the age of 50.

People who have careers that are labor intensive are more prone to developing symptoms of spinal stenosis. The most common cause of spinal stenosis is degenerative changes of the spine (aging), and it is uncommon to find this condition in individuals younger than 30 years old. When spinal stenosis does occur in younger patients it is often related to traumatic injury to the vertebrae.

What causes spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis may be caused by a wide variety of conditions, all of which lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. These conditions may be either inherited or acquired. Spinal stenosis is most often caused from degenerative arthritis, a process that causes changes in the spine that leads to narrowing of the spaces in the vertebral canal. Common changes include the formation of bone spurs, calcification of spinal ligaments, thickening of joint tissue due to chronic inflammation, and degeneration of the intervertebral disc.

What are other causes of spinal stenosis?
Inherited conditions include congenital spinal stenosis (narrow canal), scoliosis, and achondroplasia. As stated previously, the most common acquired condition that causes spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis. Other acquired conditions that may lead to spinal stenosis include rheumatoid arthritis, tumors, Paget's Disease, and traumatic damage to the vertebral column.

What are the symptoms of spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis can cause a wide variety of symptoms throughout the body. The most common symptoms are generalized pain, weakness, and numbness in the affected region. If the area of narrowing of the spine is in the cervical (neck) region the symptoms are experienced in the arms, and if the area of narrowing is in the lumbar (low back) the symptoms are experienced in the legs.

Other symptoms may occur as a result of spinal stenosis, and a few are treated specifically. If you experience bowel or bladder dysfunction (inability to control your bowel or bladder function) this should be treated as a medical emergency. This may be a sign of so-called 'cauda equina syndrome,' a serious condition of compression of the nerve roots in the lower end of the spinal canal. This may require immediate surgery to decompress an area of the spine that is seriously affected by the stenosis.