What is Spinal Stenosis?

If the space in the spine narrows which results in pressure on the nerve roots or spinal cord, it is called spinal stenosis.  

The areas which usually narrow are the spinal canal stenosis center which is in the center column of the bones (spinal column or vertebrae) through which the nerve roots and the spinal column runs, roots of the nerves or the canals at the bottom of the nerves from the spinal column and the openings between the bones of the spine or vertebrae where the nerve leaves the spine and throughout the body. The area of the spine may have a large or small narrowing.

Numbness results if pressure is applied on the lower part of the nerve roots or spinal cord stenosis which branch to the legs.  Similar symptoms may be felt if pressure is applied on the neck area or upper spinal cord stenosis.  Numbness in the legs and shoulders may be experienced. Spinal stenosis may be caused by a number of processes that decrease the amount of space in the spinal canal available for the neural elements. Degenerative causes are the most common, but there are a few unusual causes of stenosis. These include calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition, amyloid deposition, and intradural spinal tumors. The reason stenosis causes weakness and pain is the subject of a significant amount of debate and medical research.

Spinal stenosis  is very common in people, both men and women, over 50 years old. However, spinal stenosis in young people may also happen if the person was born with a narrow spine or who suffered from an injury directly to the spine.

The vertebrae link to each other and are cushioned by shock-absorbing disks that lie between them. The vertebral column provides the main support for the upper body, allowing humans to stand upright or bend and twist, and it protects the spinal cord from injury.  Following are some structures of the spine most involved in spinal stenosis.

• Intervertebral disks—pads of cartilage filled with a gel-like substance which lie between vertebrae and act as shock absorbers.
• Ligaments—elastic bands of tissue that support the spine by preventing the vertebrae from slipping out of line as the spine moves. A large ligament often involved in spinal stenosis is the ligamentum flavum, which runs as a continuous band from lamina to lamina in the spine.
• Pedicles—narrow stem-like structures on the vertebrae that form the walls of the front part of the vertebral arch.

The lumbar spine provides a foundation to carry the weight of the upper body. It also houses the nerves that control the lower body. With aging, the discs in the front of the spine become dehydrated.

There are several types of spinal stenosis.  These are spinal stenosis and spinal cord stenosis, among others.

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