All You Need to Know About Spinal Stenosis

A spinal stenosis diagnosis can happen very suddenly. It is a condition where the spine compresses the nerves in your body and is often accompanied by pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in one or both legs. Spinal stenosis is usually caused by many years of wear and tear on the spine and increased age. The spinal cord itself helps coordinate all sensations in our body, including leg movement, balance, and coordination. If the nerves around your spine are compressed, then this can be extremely painful, and the process of spinal stenosis can be slow. If you have the condition, you may want to see a Georgetown spinal stenosis specialist as soon as possible for treatment.

Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis

There are many symptoms of spinal stenosis which you should be aware of before you seek treatment for this condition. The first symptom is usually pain in your legs (and sometimes even the extremities), especially with movement and exercise. Another common symptom includes tingling or numbness in one or both legs. Gait problems and leg weakness can also be a result of spinal stenosis. When you stand up and walk, the spine’s primary function is to stabilize your body, fight against gravity and protect your nerves.

Causes of Spinal Stenosis

Unfortunately, spinal stenosis doesn’t have a specific cause. However, the condition is generally developed over many years of wear and tear on the spine. It can also be developed as you age. Aging is one of the most common causes of spinal stenosis development.

You can narrow down risk factors for developing spinal stenosis to:

• Age (over the age of 50)
• Being over or underweight
• Previous injury to the spine or lower back
• Problems such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Treatment for Spinal Stenosis

As with any condition, there are treatment options that you can pursue if you have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis. This condition is usually treated with surgery, but it depends on the severity of your symptoms and how long you’ve had the disease since it is a slow-developing condition. If you let this go too long without treatment, it may be challenging to treat in the future. The surgery options can vary, but they usually consist of decompression, screw fixation, and cage placement in the spine.

Prevention

To prevent spinal stenosis from forming, you have to keep your back healthy. This means keeping your weight at a healthy range, as well as performing exercise regularly. You can also try changing or altering certain habits that affect the spine and back. You can consider changing your job title if you need to sit down for prolonged periods. Since smoking increases the chances of developing osteoarthritis, quitting smoking can also help prevent spinal stenosis.

Be aware of spinal stenosis symptoms, and look out for if you have difficulty moving, finding an even gait, or experiencing numbness in the legs.

In summary, spinal stenosis is a condition where the spine compresses the nerves in your body, causing pain and numbness. It comes with pain in the legs and tingling or numbness in one or both legs. The specific cause of spinal stenosis remains unknown. treatment involves surgery. You need to keep your back healthy to prevent the condition.