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BACK INJURY SPINAL INJURY BACK PAIN RELIEF EDUCATION

Stenosis

The spine is prone to a number of injuries, one of them being stenosis. Stenosis is a condition of the spine wherein a single portion, or more parts, of the spine narrows. What are the symptoms and possible risk factors of stenosis, and how is it diagnosed?

People with stenosis of the spine mostly feel an increasing pain in the legs after walking, especially when walking uphill. You can relieve this pain by taking a seat or bending over, because the sitting down and leaning over actions may create more space for the spinal cord and, thus, lessen the symptoms of stenosis.

Stenosis may develop more in people with the following conditions:

• Congenital defect, wherein the person was born with a smaller or narrow spinal canal
• People who are fifty years old and over
• People who have undergone spine surgery in the past or have had a previous injury

Other medical ailments that may play significant roles in the development of stenosis include:

• Tumors in the spine
• Osteoarthritis
• Paget's bone disease

If you feel any of the symptoms of stenosis mentioned above, it may be time to consult your physician. Aside from a physical exam, a patient can undergo other tests to confirm the presence of stenosis is present. These include:

• Spinal X-ray to determine whether there are abnormalities in the spinal area
• CT scan to better assess the spinal canal
• An MRI, a tool to better evaluate the spinal area

At present, no exact cure for stenosis exists. However, therapy can reduce the symptoms produced by stenosis. Understanding the causes as well as the importance of managing the symptoms of stenosis may enable the patient to live a normal life.

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