Spinal stenosis mainly affects middle-aged or elderly people. It may
be caused by
osteoarthritis or herniation of the disc or by an accident injury
that causes pressure on the nerve roots or the spinal cord itself.
Spinal stenosis is a
narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal.
The narrowing can cause compression on nerve roots resulting in pain
or weakness of the legs. Medications or steroid injections are often
administered to reduce inflammation. If the pain is persistent and
does not respond to these conservative measures, surgery is considered
to relieve the pressure on the nerves.
Spinal stenosis is
narrowing of the spinal canal. This
can develop as you age from drying out and shrinking of the disk
spaces. If this happens, even a minor injury can cause inflammation of
the disk and put pressure on the nerve. It can also be caused by
osteoarthritis and pressure on the nerve no matter which chronic
condition is the cause can result in you feeling pain anywhere along
your back and/or legs that the nerve supplies.
Some of the most common spinal
stenosis symptoms are:
- Back pain that spreads to the legs
- Difficulty or imbalance when
walking
- Leg pain
- Neck pain
- Numbness in the buttocks, thighs,
or calves that is worse with standing, walking, or exercise
- Pain in the buttocks, thighs, or
calves that is worse with walking or exercise
- Weakness of the legs
There are many
treatments available for spinal stenosis patients, depending upon the
cause and other factors, but a conservative approach is generally
encouraged involving medication, a variety of therapies and continued
monitoring with adjustments made whenever necessary.
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