Knowra Spinal stenosis Spinal stenosis Spinal stenosis is abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve openings that can compress the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing pain, numbness, or weakness.
Neurogenic claudication : Pain, heaviness, numbness, or weakness in the legs brought on by standing or walking and relieved by sitting or bending forward. Lumbar narrowing can provoke this posture-dependent pattern by crowding nerve roots during standing and walking.
Magnetic resonance imaging : An imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the body's internal structures. MRI shows soft tissues and nerve compression associated with spinal narrowing.
Spinal canal : The passage through the vertebral column that contains the spinal cord and, lower down, spinal nerve roots. Stenosis describes reduced space in this central passage.
Herniated disc : Displacement of disc material beyond the normal boundary of an intervertebral disc. A herniation can compress nerves acutely, unlike the often gradual narrowing of degenerative stenosis.
Lumbar spinal stenosis : Narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve openings in the lower back. It commonly compresses nerve roots and causes walking-related leg symptoms.
Computed tomography : An imaging method that combines X-ray measurements to produce cross-sectional images of the body. CT depicts bone changes that can narrow the canal or nerve openings.
Intervertebral foramen : An opening between adjacent vertebrae through which a spinal nerve exits the vertebral column. Narrowing here can compress an exiting nerve even when the central canal remains open.
Peripheral artery disease : A circulation disorder in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow, usually to the limbs. It can cause walking-related leg pain that resembles neurogenic claudication but has a vascular cause.
Cervical spinal stenosis : Narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve openings in the neck. Neck-level narrowing can compress the spinal cord, impairing hand function, balance, and walking.
Physical therapy : Treatment using movement, exercise, and other physical methods to improve function and manage symptoms. Exercise and posture strategies can improve function when stenosis symptoms are manageable without surgery.
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