Stenosis means choking. The spinal cord is made by the bones of the spinal column. When the spinal nerves shrink, Lumbar stenosis occurs.
Stenosis can occur in the central spinal canal, in the region where root nerve leaves the central canal or in the foraminal stenosis where every single nerve leaves out to the body.
Causes:
1. Aging:As you grow old, the tissues thicken. The cushion element in the spine starts to collapse. This results in the shrinking of the spine.
2. Arthritis:Osteoarthritis and Arthritis are one of the most important reason for the lumbar spinal stenosis. During late 40's the cartilage present in the spine begins to reduce. As a result, Arthritis occurs.
3. Accidents:Any kind of mechanical shock can be dangerous. Sudden jerks during an accident can dislocate the spine and hence cause spinal stenosis.
4. Tumors:The tissues in the spine are very soft, many a times these tissues start growing and result in loss of the bone content.
5. Congenital stenosis: There are people who have narrow spinal canal from the birth. A small jerk can create pressure on the spinal cord. They do not feel problems when they are young. But, this narrow spinal canal can lead to stenosis.
Symptoms:
● Leg or buttock pain while walking: It arises when the microvascular structure that carry blood to the nerves shrinks or compresses.
● Anxiety
● Clumsiness
● Tingling
● Weakness
● Sciatica
Diagnosis:
To diagnose lumbar spine stenosis, the doctor should have the patient's complete medical history. The initial process starts with examining the symptoms, how long have they existed. It gives an idea of how critical the situation is.
● A neurological test gives the most accurate idea about the shrinking of the nerves that causes spinal stenosis.
● An MRI and CT scan also help in detecting lumbar spine stenosis. Magnetic Resonance Indicator uses magnetic waves to view the portion of the spine. This test tells about the nerves that are squeezed inside the spine. Most of the doctors prefer an MRI over CT scan as CT scan does not give the exact idea about the ligament tear or swelling. It only emphasizes on detecting the presence of any bony substance.
● X-Ray: X-ray gives an idea about any change in the spine that has occurred recently. It also tells about the presence of bone spurs around the spine.
Treatment:
The treatment depends on the severity of the situation and also how it would limit your everyday routine.Depending upon the type of pain, there are certain treatments that may help you with spinal stenosis.
1. Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy can be very beneficial at the initial stage of lumbar spinal stenosis. Consult a physiotherapist, tell him about your symptoms, depending on them he/she will guide you with a certain set of exercises that may relieve you from pain and as well treat spinal stenosis.
2. Drug delivery: Doctors usually advise Aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce the pain. Under some conditions antidepressants and medicines that relax the muscles can also be used.
3. Surgery:Doctors usually categorize the pain to determine what type of surgery can be done. For moderate pain Surgical treatments like Interspinous Spacers can be done to reduce decompression. In the rest of the cases, doctors go for surgery like:
4. Lumbar Laminectomy: Commonly known as Depression surgery. The spinal cord gets covered by lamina that is the back part of the vertebra. This type of surgery removes this lamina, thereby improving the functioning of vertebral parts and thus making a positive impact on the patient’s health.
5. Laminotomy: It creates a decompression, and the unwanted portion of the disc is removed.
Author:- Prince Martin is a Freelance writer with experience of more than 6 years in professional writing. He specializes in writing for Health, web marketing, legal, logistics, etc. He is also a nature lover with keen interest in global culture and heritage.
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