NSSD - Non Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy has a Huge Success Rate in Providing Long Term Pain Relief for Spinal Stenosis Pain!
In
general, chronic pain with limitations on mobility are the most
common symptoms associated with spinal stenosis. Pressure on the
lower, or lumbar, part of the spinal cord or on nerve roots
branching out from the lower back area may give rise to pain or
numbness in the legs. Pressure on the upper, or cervical, part of
the spinal cord (the neck area) may produce similar symptoms in
the shoulders and arms.
The symptoms of spinal stenosis usually develop slowly over time
and occur during certain activities or when the body assumes
certain positions. The pain may come and go, as opposed to being
continuous, and, at times may be relieved by lying down or sitting
in a flexed forward position. This flexed position "opens up" the
spinal column, enlarging the spaces between vertebrae at the back
of the spine.
Pain in the legs when walking is a common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis.
Although occasionally this leg pain from spinal stenosis comes on
acutely, it usually develops over several years. Numbness and
tingling can accompany pain from lumbar spinal stenosis.
Pseudoclaudication is pain and
discomfort in the buttocks, legs and feet due to narrowing of the
spinal canal from spinal stenosis. In pseudoclaudication, the
narrowing of the spinal canal compresses the nerves that control
movement and sensation in the legs. It may also cause numbness and
weakness in the legs.
People with more severe spinal stenosis may also experience
abnormal bowel and bladder function and foot disorders. For
example, cauda equina syndrome
is a partial or complete loss of control of the bowel or bladder
and sometimes sexual function.
The collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord is known as
the cauda equina, due to its resemblance to a horse's tail.
The spinal cord ends at the upper portion of the lumbar (lower
back) spine. The individual nerve roots at the end of the spinal
cord that provide motor and sensory function to the legs and the
bladder continue along in the spinal canal. The cauda equina
is the continuation of these nerve roots in the lumbar region.
These nerves send and receive messages to and from the lower limbs
and pelvic organs.
Caudia equina syndrome most commonly results from a massive
herniated disc in the lumbar region. A single excessive strain or
injury may cause a herniated disc. However, disc material also
degenerates naturally with age, and the ligaments that hold the
discs in place begin to weaken. As this degeneration progresses, a
relatively minor strain or twisting movement can cause a disc to
rupture.
Stenosis = narrowing In regards to spinal stenosis the narrowing is in regards to the canals in which nerves (spinal cord or nerve roots) pass through.
Spinal Stenosis is a diagnosis from a combination of pain presentations, neurological evaluations, and x-ray, CT or MRI imaging findings.
There are 2 areas which frequently become stenotic; the central canal (where the spinal cord and cauda equina reside, and the lateral foramen/lateral canal which is where the nerve root branches exit the vertebral column (foraminal stenosis). Foraminal Stenosis is the more common type of stenosis, and the most common region affected is the lower lumbar spine (L5/S1, L4/L5) and the second most common area is the lower cervical spine (C6/C7). It just so happens that these two areas of the spine have very similar curvatures and mechanics in the normal spine. The reasons the mechanics are so similar are due to the fact that they are the foundations of a lordotic curvature, and the structures underneath lack significant motion (lower lumbar spine is above the pelvic ring, and the lower cervical spine sits above the rib cage which is another ring).
The most common causes of spinal stenosis in order of most common to least common are: 1. Vertebral misalignment or subluxation 2. Disc bulge / protrusion 3. Disc Herniation 4. Disc Extrusion 5. Osteophyte formation (bone spur) 6. Spondylolisthesis (vertebral misalignment from defect or fracture) 7. Tumor or cyst formation 8. Congenital narrowing (associated with achondroplastic dwarfism)
Some other causes of Spinal stenosis include Rheumatoid Arthritis, swelling after spinal surgery, and paget's disease.
The white matter is spinal cord nerve tissue.
The indentations are the zones of stenosis pressure
left side view
The yellow is spinal cord nerve tissue
The red areas indicate zones of stenotic pressure
Left Side view
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