It is estimated that as many as 80% of us will experience some form of back or neck pain at some point in our lives. Spinal stenosis can be one cause of back and neck pain. It affects your vertebrae (the bones of your back), narrowing the openings within those bones where the spinal cord and nerves pass through.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing within the vertebrae of the spinal column that results in too much pressure on the spinal cord (central stenosis) or nerves (lateral stenosis). Spinal stenosis may occur in the neck or in the low back.

The most common causes of spinal stenosis are related to the aging process in the spine:

• Osteoarthritis is a deterioration of the cartilage between joints. In response to this damage, the body often forms additional bone (called “bone spurs”) to try to support the area. These bone spurs might cause pressure on the nerves at the
  point where the nerves exit the spinal canal.
• Normal aging can result in a flattening of the disks that provide space between each set of vertebrae. This narrowed space allows less room for the nerve to exit from the spinal cord.
• Spinal injuries, diseases of the bone (such as Paget’s disease), spinal tumors, and thickening of certain spinal ligaments also may lead to spinal stenosis.
• In most cases, symptoms of spinal stenosis can be effectively managed with physical therapy and other conservative treatments. Only the most severe cases of spinal stenosis need surgery or spinal injections.

Spinal stenosis may cause symptoms such as:

• Pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms and shoulders, legs, or trunk.
• Occasional problems with bowel or bladder function.
• If you have spinal stenosis in the neck (cervical spinal stenosis), you may have weakness, numbness, and pain in one or both arms and often in the legs, depending on which nerves are affected. You may or may not have pain in the neck itself.
• If you have spinal stenosis in the lower back (lumbar spinal stenosis), you may have pain, numbness, and weakness in the lower back and one or both legs, but not in the arms. Your symptoms may get worse with walking and improve with sitting.

Because the symptoms of spinal stenosis are often similar to those of other age-related conditions, a careful diagnosis is important. Your physical therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation, including a review of your medical history, and will use screening tools to determine the likelihood of spinal stenosis.

Your physical therapist may:

• Ask you very specific questions about the location and nature of your pain, weakness, and other symptoms.
• Ask you to fill out a body diagram to indicate specific areas of pain, numbness, and tingling.
• Perform tests of muscle strength and sensation to determine the severity of the pressure on the nerve root
  Examine your posture and observe how you walk and perform other activities.
• Measure the range of motion of your spine and your arms and legs.
• Use manual therapy to evaluate the mobility of the joints and muscles in your spine.
• Test the strength of important muscle groups.

If you have muscle weakness, loss of sensation, or severe pain, diagnostic tests such as an X-ray or MRI may be needed. Physical therapists work closely with physicians and other healthcare providers to ensure that an accurate diagnosis is made and the appropriate treatment is provided.

If you’re experiencing back pain or suspect you may have lumbar stenosis, don’t wait for symptoms to worsen. The therapists at Buffalo Back Neck and Back Physical Therapy can provide a comprehensive evaluation and develop a personalized treatment plan to get you back to living pain-free. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and take the first step toward better spinal health.