| Home >> Spine Conditions >> Spinal Stenosis |
What is Spinal Stenosis?
|  |
| Spinal Stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal by a piece of bone or disc material. This can cause weakness in your extremities as narrowing often results in pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerves. Spinal stenosis can occur in a variety of ways in the spine. Most cases of spinal stenosis occur in the lower back (lumbar spine) and will affect the sciatic nerve, which runs along the back of the leg. |
| |
| The most commonly referred to types of this condition are: lumbar spinal stenosis, occurring in the lower back, and cervical spinal stenosis which occurs in the neck. As mentioned previously, the condition more commonly occurs in the lower back. |
| |
| If you think you show signs of the condition, or would like to confirm your suspicions that you may have spinal stenosis, we recommend viewing the symptoms below. There you can see if you have one or more of the common symptoms shared by most people with the condition. |
| |
| Safe practices at home and the workplace can help you avoid injuries of all kinds. When it comes to injuries to your back, there are certain activities you should try and avoid or take precautions against. View the causes of spinal stenosis below to learn more about how to avoid developing this painful condition. |
| |
| If you have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and conventional treatment is not helping you, maybe it is time to start considering minimally invasive surgery. Most likely you will benefit from reading about the non-invasive, non-surgical spinal decompression approach Dr. Jarmain's Clinic takes for bone spurs treatment. |
| |
Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
|
| Although the information on this website can provide you with invaluable insight into your back or neck problems, it is still only a guideline. We recommend talking with your family doctor who can help you determine whether or not you have the symptoms of spinal stenosis or any other spine condition. | Keeping the above in mind, we offer you the following check list to help you determine whether or not you may have this condition.- Do you have occasional or frequent pain in one or both of your legs?
- Do you occasionally or frequently experience a numbness or tingling sensation in one or both of your legs?
- Do certain activities bring on the pain more then others?
- Do you experience pain or discomfort when you walk?
- If you sit down and rest when you feel this pain does the pain go away?
- Is the pain inconsistent (only happens every now and then)?
| If you answered yes to 4 or more of these questions, please call Dr Jarmain now at
212-928-0900. | | |
|
Causes of Spinal Stenosis
|
| The major causes of spinal stenosis are: | | | | Aging - With age, the body's ligaments (tough connective tissues between the bones in the spine) can thicken. Spurs (small growths) may develop on the bones and into the spinal canal. The cushioning discs between the vertebrae may begin to deteriorate. The facet joints (flat surfaces on each vertebra that form the spinal column) also may begin to thicken. Aging, coupled with secondary changes, is the most common cause of spinal stenosis. Heredity - if the spinal canal is too small at birth, symptoms of spinal stenosis may show in a relatively young person. Structural deformities of the involved vertebrae can cause narrowing of the spinal canal. | | | | Tumors of the spine - Abnormal growths of soft tissue that may affect the spinal canal directly by inflammation or by growth of tissue into the canal. Tissue growth may lead to bone resorption (bone loss due to over activity of certain bone cells) or displacement of bone and the eventual collapse of the supporting framework of the spinal column. | | | | Trauma - accidents and injuries may either dislocate the spine and the spinal canal or cause burst fractures that produce fragments of bone that penetrate the canal. | | | | Paget's disease of bone - This chronic (long-term) disorder usually results in enlarged and deformed bones. The disease can affect any bone of the body, but is often found in the spine. | | | | Blood supply - The blood supply that feeds healthy nerve tissue may be diverted to the area of involved bone. | | | | Fluorosis - An excessive level of fluoride in the body. It may result from chronic inhalation of industrial dusts or gases contaminated with fluorides, prolonged ingestion of water containing large amounts of fluorides, or accidental ingestion of fluoride-containing insecticides. The condition may lead to calcified spinal ligaments or softened bones and to degenerative conditions like spinal stenosis. | | |
|
| Dr Jarmain's Clinic treats pain caused by Spinal Stenosis through a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure called Spinal Decompression. |
| |
| If you still have unanswered questions, feel free to visit our FAQ page where we answer some of the most frequently asked questions received from previous visitors. Also, feel free to contact us. |
| |
