If you’re wondering what causes spinal stenosis, then you’ve likely been recently diagnosed with the condition. Any lingering questions you have following your diagnosis should be addressed with your physician. This can ensure that you receive information that pertains to you and your particular spinal condition. Learning more about spinal stenosis and its causes may help you develop specific questions to ask your physician at your next appointment.

The Anatomy of the Spine

In order to have a thorough understanding of the various causes of spinal stenosis, it may prove beneficial to first know some basic information about the spine’s various anatomical components. The spine is composed of the following major parts:

– Spinal cord – This bundle of nerves travels from the base of the skull to the middle of the lower back. Nerve roots branch from the spinal cord and separate into billions of nerves that are responsible for delivering motor and sensory information from the brain to the rest of the body.

– Vertebrae – These bone structures house and protect the spinal cord, which travels through the vertebrae’s hollow core, or the vertebral foramina. Collectively, these openings are commonly referred to as the spinal canal.

– Facet joints – Articulating vertebrae are connected to one another by facet joints. These joints lend the spine its ability to bend, twist, and perform other movements.

– Intervertebral discs – Adjacent vertebrae are separated by intervertebral discs, which absorb the impact that is placed on the spine when it facilitates movement or bears weight. A disc is composed of two elements: the annulus fibrosus (the disc’s tough outer shell) and the nucleus pulposus (the disc’s gelatinous center).

As an individual ages, the vertebrae, facet joints, and intervertebral discs can all begin to deteriorate as a result of years of wear and tear. These degenerative changes can affect the spine in such a way that the vertebral foramina through which the spinal cord travels can become constricted. This narrowing of a vertebral foramen is called spinal stenosis, and it can cause the compression of the spinal cord or a nerve root.

Facet Disease

Facet disease is a type of arthritis that sometimes causes spinal stenosis. The facet joints are coated in a thin layer of cartilage that helps to lubricate the joints and allows them to smoothly articulate. Over time, the joints’ cartilaginous linings can begin to wear away, leading to stiffness and painful inflammation. In an effort to prevent the joints from uncomfortably grinding against one another, the body may form osteophytes, also called bone spurs. While bone spurs are created to provide the spine with added stability, they can sometimes do more harm than good. If a bone spur extends into a vertebral foramen, for instance, the spinal canal can become narrowed and the spinal cord or a spinal nerve can become pinched.

Herniated Discs

Due to the strain and pressure that is continually placed on the neck and back, the intervertebral discs are susceptible to degenerative changes. The discs’ annuli fibrosi (the tough exteriors) can become hard, brittle, and less elastic over time. The nuclei pulposi (jelly-like centers) can lose water content and become less adept at ensuring the pressure that is placed on the discs is evenly distributed in all directions. The combination of a brittle exterior and a dehydrated center can eventually cause the disc to rupture or tear, allowing the nucleus pulposus to escape and enter the spinal canal. This condition is referred to as a herniated disc and can lead to neural compression. The nuclei pulposi also contain an inflammation-inducing chemical that can greatly aggravate the spinal nerves that it comes into contact with.

Bulging Discs

Like a herniated disc, a bulging disc occurs because of the weakening of the annuli fibrosi and the dehydration of the nuclei pulposi. Unlike a herniated disc, however, a bulging disc remains fully intact and does not entail the expulsion of any of the affected disc’s inner contents. Instead, the disc’s annulus fibrosus is weakened to the point that it can no longer contain its nucleus pulposus within its normal boundary, allowing the disc’s center to shift out of place. In the event that the misshapen disc balloons posteriorly, it can invade the spinal canal and cause neural compression.

Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis causes a variety of symptoms that can range in severity from moderate to debilitating. In addition to experiencing localized pain and discomfort, patients may also suffer from numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and radiating pain that extends into the extremities. The region of the spine in which the canal is narrowed will determine the location of the patient’s symptoms. Neural compression in the cervical spine can cause symptoms to appear in the neck, shoulders, upper back, arms, and/or hands. A pinched nerve in the lumbar spine can lead to discomfort in the lower back, hips, buttock, legs and/or feet. It’s important to note that spinal stenosis causes no symptoms at all in some patients. This occurs when the narrowing of a vertebral foramen does not lead to the compression of a spinal nerve.

Treating Spinal Stenosis

In some cases, spinal stenosis can be treated through the use of conservative, nonsurgical treatments. These treatments focus on relieving the symptoms that spinal stenosis causes as opposed to reopening the narrowed vertebral foramen. Nonsurgical treatment for this spinal condition usually entails the use of over-the-counter medication, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like naproxen and ibuprofen, or analgesics like acetaminophen. In some cases, such as when symptoms are severe or debilitating, patients may be prescribed narcotic pain relievers or muscle relaxants.

A nonsurgical treatment regimen for spinal stenosis may also include:

– Physical therapy

– Cryotherapy

– Thermotherapy

– Massage therapy

– Lifestyle modifications

– Posture exercises

– Nerve block injections

Some patients may choose to complement these conservative treatments with alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, or restorative yoga, among others.

Surgery for Spinal Stenosis

If a patient’s spinal stenosis symptoms fail to abate after following a conservative treatment plan for several weeks or months, surgery may be recommended. Some patients may have the option to undergo a minimally invasive spine procedure that relieves neural compression endoscopically. These procedures are performed under deep IV sedation and local anesthetic through an incision that is typically less than one inch long. Rehabilitation generally requires a few weeks, though some patients experience immediate relief from the symptoms spinal stenosis causes.

Before consenting to any type of surgical treatment for spinal stenosis, patients should investigate all treatments that are available to them and be 100 percent comfortable with the associated risks. It may also prove worthwhile to receive a second or third opinion to make sure the correct diagnosis was initially formed and that all nonsurgical treatments have been attempted.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal stenosis and several other spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal stenosis and other spinal conditions. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/spinal_stenosis

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal stenosis and several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Spinal Stenosis Causes