Spinal Canal Narrowing (Spinal Stenosis) Symptoms

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Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a disease known as spinal canal stenosis, which is manifested by the development of stenosis in the canal through which one or more nerves in the spine pass. Spinal stenosis, a very common condition that can affect anyone, usually occurs as we get older but can also affect young people. Canal narrowing, which can be treated conservatively or surgically, causes certain complaints in the patient and reduces the quality of life.

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What is Spinal Canal Narrowing?

The spine, which extends from the neck to the coccyx, is an important structure consisting of rows of vertebrae and the discs between them. The main function of the spine is to protect the spinal cord and spinal nerves passing through it, and it is also an important connection point for body movement and movements.

There are discs between the spinal vertebrae that absorb the load coming from the upper part and distribute it evenly to the body.

These discs give the spine the flexibility it needs and help move the body as needed. However, generally with age, the flexibility of these discs decreases and stenosis occurs in the canal, putting pressure on the nerves coming from the vertebrae. This pressure manifests itself with complaints such as pain.

Narrowing of the canal, called spinal stenosis, occurs in the canals where the spinal canal or nerve connects to other structures. Narrowing of the canals is observed with aging, which generally causes situations such as vertebrae getting out of alignment.

The narrowing occurring in the spinal canal or side canals compresses the spinal root, and as the diameter of the canal decreases, the irritation there becomes greater.

Who Gets Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a disease that can occur in anyone, but individuals over the age of 50 are most at risk. Some patients may have a narrow canal structure from birth, while in others, spinal injury and similar environmental factors may cause this problem. In summary, spinal stenosis can affect people of all ages and genders, depending on certain reasons.

Causes of Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis can develop due to numerous reasons, but the common point in patients is the change observed in the spinal structure. Normally, there is a canal of average width around the spinal cord and nerve roots passing through the spine.

Narrowing of this canal may occur due to some reasons, and this causes spinal stenosis. The most common causes of spinal canal narrowing are:

Bone growth and arthritic conditions: This condition, which causes wear on the joint cartilage, including the spine, means that the joints lose their protective properties. Wear and tear in the cartilage causes bones to rub against each other and become damaged. The human body responds to this situation by producing new bone, but in the meantime, excessive growth or protrusion of the bones is observed. The bones in the spine may extend towards the canal, causing stenosis.
Bulging and herniated discs: There are vertebral disc structures between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. Depending on age, flattening or drying of the discs may occur, and the discs may also crack at the outer edge. In this case, nerve compression occurs and the swollen discs create stenosis in the canal.
Thickened ligaments: The fiber bands that hold the spine together can thicken over time and swell into the spinal canal space, narrowing the canal.
Spinal cord cysts and tumors: Cysts and tumors in the spinal cord can cause growth in the vertebrae and reduce the diameter of the canal.
Congenital spinal stenosis: Individuals with congenital spinal stenosis, an inherited condition, have congenital canal stenosis.

What are the Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis?

Certain complaints are observed in patients with spinal stenosis. This problem, which occurs by applying pressure to the nerves, causes pain in different parts of the body. The most prominent complaint in these patients is pain in the waist and hips.

Additionally, the legs, groin, and hips may be affected by complaints such as pain and numbness. Wherever the disc where the narrowing occurs is attached, weakness usually occurs in that area, such as grasping and holding. Spinal stenosis symptoms usually occur while walking and standing and decrease when sitting and bending forward.

Spinal stenosis is a disease that progresses over time. For this reason, when the disease first occurs, no symptoms may be observed or the symptoms may not be bothersome. However, spinal stenosis, which is a very slowly progressing disease, worsens over time and the severity of symptoms increases. Since the region of the stenosis in the spine varies from person to person, differences in symptoms may be observed, therefore it is recommended that patients begin the appropriate treatment process with regular medical check-ups and physician recommendations.