Spinal Stenosis Column

Different Types of Spinal Stenosis

Even though there are differences in where your spinal stenosis may affect you anatomically, the symptoms are very similar and usually the condition is just referred to as spinal stenosis and the specifics are dropped.  If there is surgery to be preformed it is very important for the surgeon to know the specifics of your spinal stenosis as it will guide the surgeon in locating the correct area for treatment.

Exercises for Spinal Stenosis

When considering exercises for spinal stenosis treatment, exercise emphasizing forward bends (flexion) are often suggested by spine specialists and physical therapists.  The motion of bending forward flexes the spine, increasing the amount of room in the spinal canal, allowing the irritation caused by the nerve compression to be resolved.

Cervical Spinal Stenosis

Cervical spinal stenosis is defined as a tightening, or reduction in space in the cervical canal around the spinal cord.  There are many conditions that degeneration of the cervical discs, as well as the joints between each vertebra can lead to, but one of the most serious is cervical spinal stenosis.

Spinal Stenosis Treatment

When considering how to treat spinal stenosis, you must begin with an accurate diagnosis.  The most frequent symptom encountered when diagnosing spinal stenosis is a leg pain that worsens when the patient walks.  There may or may not be back pain associated with this leg pain.  When a patient presents these symptoms to their general practitioner a conclusive diagnosis can be formed with the assistance of a MRI or CT scan with myelogram.  A physical examination alone will not be able to provide enough evidence for a conclusive diagnosis.

Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

The main problem with attaining an accurate diagnosis for spinal stenosis is that many of the different variations share common symptoms.  The most common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis is leg pain.  Leg pain as a result of lumbar stenosis is often referred to as sciatica.

Spinal Stenosis Surgery

If you are unable to perform daily activities, or the quality of your lifestyle has been severely affected by spinal stenosis symptoms, your health care provider may recommend spinal stenosis surgery as the next step in your recovery.

Cause of Spinal Stenosis

When reviewing data on which age bracket is most often affected by spinal stenosis, we find that the majority of cases diagnosed are in men and women over fifty years of age.  Although age is the main criteria when considering a natural occurrence of spinal stenosis, a younger person may be afflicted with spinal stenosis because they were either born with a narrowing of the spinal canal, or they have suffered from a traumatic injury to the spine.

What is Spinal Stenosis

Originating from Greek, the term stenosis means a choking.  Lumbar spinal stenosis occurs when spinal nerve roots in the lower back are compressed or choked producing painful symptoms.  Along with the pain come symptoms of weakness or numbness…