Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of any spaces within the spine, which can cause compression of the spinal cord or nerves, and most commonly impacts the lower back (lumbar spine) or the neck (cervical spine). Spinal stenosis may take time to develop, but symptoms can worsen over time.
Anyone with the disease eventually wonders: What are the final symptoms of spinal stenosis? Knowing these final symptoms can help you recognise signs that require a doctor's attention.
Spinal stenosis is a medical condition when spinal canal becomes tighter or at the exit points where spinal nerves leave the canal. Spinal stenosis is caused by inflammation due to arthritis, aging changes in bones, bone spurs, overgrowth of ligaments, herniated discs, and other structural abnormalities.
The spinal stenosis meaning can be put in simple terms: spinal stenosis is decreased space for the spinal cord or nerves.
No specific final stage is medically defined. Spinal stenosis can present as mild or severe narrowing, which can lead to significant limitations in spinal movement and nerve compression. Symptoms that may exist at the severe stage of spinal stenosis include:
The experience of more severe symptoms is not indicative of permanent disability, and spinal stenosis treatment options may successfully alleviate limitations.
People ask: "Can spinal stenosis kill me?" Spinal stenosis usually doesn't kill people. However, sometimes you can die from the complications caused by the compression of a nerve or of the spinal cord.
For instance, severe cervical (neck) spinal stenosis compresses the spinal cord and can have complications ranging from marked weakness to poor balance.
Severe spinal nerve root compression, in the low back (lumbar spinal stenosis), can cause emergent symptoms involving the bladder and bowel. Sudden loss of bladder/bowel control, perianal numbness (around the inner thigh and genitals), and/or rapidly worsening weakness constitute an emergent situation.
Most doctors correlate the symptoms of your stenosis with their physical examination findings and the investigations. Spinal Stenosis MRI is helpful because it would outline the spinal canal, cord and nerve roots, intervertebral discs and compression points.
An MRI that has a significant narrowing, however, may not necessarily indicate a serious level of symptomatology, since these findings have to correlate with what a doctor can observe on examination.
The best treatment for spinal stenosis will take into consideration the degree of spinal narrowing in addition to where in the spine the stenosis is, the extent of any symptoms, your current health status, your previous treatments received, and finally how you responded to these treatments. With mild symptoms, the suggested treatment involves:
Spinal stenosis exercises can be centered around strength, flexibility, posture, and general mobility. Exercise, however, may not be appropriate for everyone, and some activities may increase pain.
People with cervical spinal stenosis can discuss things to avoid with cervical spinal stenosis with a qualified physiotherapist at Magnus Medical rather than following a generic exercise program. You can opt for physiotherapy Glenroy to relieve the pain that comes from spinal stenosis.
Most often, spinal stenosis results from aging and the associated wear and tear on the body. These can involve arthritis, abnormal growths on bones (bone spurs) and thickening in the spinal ligaments and degenerated spinal discs. Certain people are born with narrower-than-average spinal canals, or a narrow spinal canal may result from previous injuries or conditions in the spine.
Conclusion
There isn't one distinct combination of symptoms to classify final-stage spinal stenosis. Someone in final-stage condition may have extreme pain, weakness, or numbness. Regular doctor's visits at Magnus Medical, the most trusted Glenroy Medical Centre, should continue to occur if you have spinal stenosis and your symptoms are changing or impacting your ability to function.
