What is spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a medical condition where the space available for the spinal cord and nerve root is narrowed. This narrowing is caused by disc herniations, disc bulges, and arthritis of the spine. Enlargement of the facet joints, caused by wear and tear, is a common cause of stenosis. If you think back to your grandmother’s hands, you’ll remember that her knuckles are large and bony. This process is caused by bone spurs that grow around the edge of a joint that is starting to wear out.
The same process occurs in the lumbar spine. The facet joints on either side of the spine become enlarged with time and they trap the nerve roots in an area called the lateral recess. A bulging disc pushing on the nerve from the other side usually makes the pain intolerable.
How does spinal stenosis develop?
Spinal stenosis develops very slowly over time. The most common cause of stenosis is BIRTHDAYS! The more birthdays you have, the more like you are to develop arthritis of the spine and stenosis. Since everyone who lives long enough will develop some degree of stenosis, the question is, when do you know if spinal stenosis is causing your buttock and leg pain.
What does spinal stenosis look like on an MRI scan?
Here is a short video where I describe the findings of stenosis of the spine at two levels.
The 4 questions that will tell us if you have spinal stenosis
A recent study was published in the medical literature which asked medical experts from all over the globe how they knew if someone had spinal stenosis. It comes down to four simple questions. The answer to these four questions can tell us if you are likely to have symptomatic stenosis.
1. Do you have leg or BUTTOCK PAIN while walking?
2. Do you FLEX FORWARD to relieve symptoms?
3. Do you FEEL BETTER if you can LEAN on a shopping care while walking?
4. Do your legs feel WEAK or NUMB while you are walking?
The scientific consensus on the symptoms of spinal stenosis
The reference for this paper is as follows:
1. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016 Aug 1;41(15):1239-46. ISSLS Prize Winner: Consensus on the Clinical Diagnosis of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Results of an International Delphi Study.
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Spinal Stenosis
I specialize in microscopic decompression surgery of the spine. If you’ve already had an MRI scan and are interested in discussing your options, I will review your MRI scan for and tell you whether or not I think a microscopic decompression can improve your symptoms.
To learn more about your options for, click here: