Medical Advice for Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by narrowing of the spine. It occurs in three areas: the space at the center of the spine, the canals where nerves branch out from the spine or the space between vertebrae (bones of the spine). You can think of narrowing as a doughnut where the hole in the middle begins to close and puts pressure on the spinal cord or squeezes the nerves. Everyone with narrowing of the spine may not experience pain. Therefore, spinal stenosis is associated with having pain in the lower extremities due to narrowing of the spine.

Symptoms

• According to the Mayo Clinic, "Spinal stenosis can cause cramping, pain or numbness in your legs, back, neck, shoulders, or arms. It can cause loss of sensation in your extremities, loss of strength and possibly a loss of bladder or bowel function." You may notice the following common reactions to the pain: you have trouble walking for any length of time due to pain in legs and/or lower back and the pain is relieved when you sit down; you need the support of a shopping cart when in the store, due to weakness and pain, or you have to walk bent over to alleviate pain in the legs and lower back. Seek immediate medical treatment with loss of bladder or bowel function.

Types

• There are two types of stenosis conditions dealing with narrowing of the spine. You can be born with a small spinal canal. The condition is called congenital stenosis. In addition, you can acquire spinal stenosis at some time in your life, usually after the age of 50 years, due to a previous injury, surgery, a medical condition or in some cases because you are female.

Medical Conditions

• Well-known medical conditions that cause spinal stenosis are osteoarthritis and osteophytes or bony spurs associated with aging, inflammatory spondyloarthritis--a form of arthritis in the spine--spinal tumors and Paget's disease of the bone, which is a condition resulting in abnormal bone growth. See Resources below for more on these conditions.

Cure

• There is no cure for spinal stenosis. Your plan to manage your condition is based on discussions with your physician, test results, physical evaluation and the quality of life you are currently experiencing as a result of pain.

Treatment Options

• The American College of Rheumatology provides several common options you may want to consider. Regular exercise such as walking, swimming and stretch exercises may reduce stiffness and pain, in addition to one or more of the following: pain management with medication prescribed by your physician; cortisone shots offer a temporary solution, depending on how long it relieves the pain; and surgery, if none of the other options works or your quality of life is reduced significantly because the pain is unbearable.