Spinal Stenosis Column Resources
Resources
When scar tissue forms near the nerve root, it’s called epidural fibrosis. Epidural fibrosis is a common occurrence after back surgeries.
With cartilage that lines the joint allowing bones to glide smoothly over each other and a capsule surrounding the joint, a facet joint is pretty much the same as any other joint in your body.
Arthritis of the spine usually develops over time. Early on, a person may only experience joint aches after physical work or exercise, which fades and then returns as the affected joint is used or overused.
Although quite similar to spinal stenosis foraminal stenosis is singled out because it primarily will affect one or more vertebral foramen. When looking at a normal spine there is enough room for the nerve roots to slip through the foramen. The foramen can become clogged with debris as we age trapping and compressing nerves.
The term pinched nerve describes one type of damage or injury to a nerve or set of nerves. The injury may result from compression, constriction, or stretching. Symptoms include numbness, “pins and needles” or burning sensations, and pain radiating outward from the injured area.
Treatments
A laminotomy is an arthroscopic approach to opening the spinal canal, without need for general anesthesia. Through the laminotomy procedure, pressure is relieve from the spinal canal for the exiting nerve root and spinal cord. A laminotomy can be performed in an outpatient surgical setting.
The goal of the percutaneous discectomy is to achieve pain relief through the removal of damaged material that is placing pressure on the never root or spinal cord. A percutaneous discectomy is preformed without the need for general anesthesia. Because of this, the procedure is able to be preformed in an outpatient surgical setting.
When you fuse an area of the spine you lose mobility in that particular region. The spine is very mobile and fusing vertebrae together causes extreme wear and tear on the vertebrae (and discs) above and below the area of the fusion because they are trying to compensate for the area that is now immobile.
The facet joints are the joint structures that connect the vertebrae to one another. Thermal ablation refers to the laser eradication of the effected nerve. A Facet Thermal Ablation is used to treat Facet Disease, Facet Joint Syndrome, Facet Hypertrophy, Facet Arthritis, Degenerative Facet Joints.
A foraminotomy is performed to relieve the symptoms of nerve root compression in cases where the foramen is being compressed by bone, disc, scar tissue, or excessive ligament development and results in a pinched nerve.
Symptoms
Muscular weakness can become a problematic symptom of spinal stenosis with time.
As nerves in the spinal canal are choked by spinal stenosis, a tingling sensation can be felt in the arms or legs.
Constricting the spinal nerve roots or the spinal cord can cause numbness in the upper and lower extremities
Along with leg pain, there is often a presence of lower back pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis
Most people that feel leg pain as a result of spinal stenosis will feel it alleviate as walking motion stops
Causes
This condition occurs when one of the vertebra in the spine moves forward onto another, narrowing the amount of space in the spinal canal.
A small spinal canal can be passed on by the parents allowing for spinal stenosis to be present in a younger person.
Spinal stenosis often occurs as a result of natural spinal degeneration incured through the natural aging process.