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Doctor insights on: Could Spinal Stenosis Affect The Brain

Not typically: Spinal stenosis is a narrowing or pinching if the nerve canal, it can usually affect things spine related, but not really brain related. ...Read more

No: Spinal stenosis actully improve with bending forward if the pain is on bending is suggests other etiologies for your pain possibly muscular. ...Read more

Possibly: If severe enough to cause compression of the lumbar nerve roots (specifically l2, 3, 4) this could cause difficulty with normal arousal reflexes, including erection. ...Read more

No: Memory loss may be indicative of a brain disorder. Spinal stenosis will not cause short term memory loss. ...Read more

Pinched nerves: Depending on how severe the nerves are compressed, spinal stenosis just means narrowing of the spinal canal from any- and all causes. Some people have terrible symptoms when standing and walking due to bone spurs; other patients can tolerate it just fine; despite bigger spurs... A good ortho spine doc can look at the scans for you and determine the best course of action. ...Read more

Proven techniques: For refractory spinal stenosis with correlating sciatic, surgical laminectomy has been a highly effective treatment for nearly 100 years. For low back pain without sciatica and without gross spinal instability, surgery is not an effective treatment. Objective medical research has not shown artificial disk replacement to be effective. Thus many insurances will not cover it. ...Read more

Which is causing thi: Which of these diagnoses are responsible for your inability to walk. Your medical team will need to help you decide and then the treatment can be directed. Lumbar stenosis can be treated with epidural steroid injection and physical therapte y and the others with this with physical therapy.We don'y know your age andam uncertain what a repite care home is ...Read more

Spinal Stenosis: Depending on where the spinal stenosis was would determine if it could be confused with fibromyalgia. If it were lumbar, the answer would be "no" due to the pain being only in the lower body. If it were cervical, the answer could be "maybe". The work up for fibromyalgia would discover multiple underlying other disorders contributing to the disease. Have a knowledgeable specialist evaluate. ...Read more

No: Degenerative cervical spinal stenosis takes years to develop, usually not from an event such as a fall.

That being said, a person with pre-existing spinal stenosis of cervical spine can sustain central cord syndrome/contusion from the fall, become very symptomatic. ...Read more

Cervical stenosis: ...Hmm, only if it caused a severe sudden disc herniation or perhaps a fracture, otherwise stenosis is a process of gradual degeneration and not an acute disease.
What can happen is that stenosis symptoms suddenly worsen due to alittle instability that occurred during the fall, and tight nerves were suddenly squeezed some more, and that gave you the symptoms... Good luck! ...Read more

See below: Probably the best would be pool aerobics; the water supports your weight & there's minimal impact on ankles, knees, hips, back. Provides excellent work-out so lose lbs (as long as u eat sensibly too) & is fun & sociable. Advise instructor of your back problem so s/he can advise u of any movements to avoid. Have fun. ...Read more

Muscles locked: It could be due to spinal stenosis. It also could be due to electrolyte abnormalities, other neurological abnormalities, dehydration, simple fainting or being clumsy. It certainly warrants a trip to the doctor for an evaluation and blood work at the least. ...Read more

Hard to say: Certainly hard to say without benefit of your records. A thoracic radiculopathy can cause upper back burning, as can a peri scapular problem such as a sub scapular bursitis, or something deeper inside such as a lung, stomach, or pancreas problem for the left side. A real detailed exam and appropriate studies can usually determine the cause. ...Read more

Fall: This typically does not cause stenosis unless its a herniated disc that is causing the stenosis. ...Read more

Pain physicians also: In addition to dr. Frankel's answer, also consider talking to an interventional pain/spine physician. They have other minimally invasive options to treat spinal stenosis, such as the mild procedure. ...Read more

Depends: Surgery is typically a definitive treatment for the symptomatology, although, non-surgical management should be initiated first.
Surgical Treatment for spinal stenosis usually consists of decompressive laminectomy (unroofing of the spinal canal) with or without fusion. ...Read more

Not really: I assume by lsi, you are referring to lumbar spinal injections, also known as epidural steroid injections (esis). These can help temporarily treat some of the pain associated with spinal stenosis but are not a definitive treatment. Check out http://www. Mildprocedure. Com for some information on a new minimally invasive procedure for spinal stenosis. ...Read more

Leads to pressure: On the the spinal cord (for cervical or thoracic spinal stenosis), and lead to pressure on nerves (in lumbar spinal stenosis). With decrease space where the nerves and spinal cord lives, they can start getting pressure, which leads to some variety of symptoms, depending on if the stenosis is localized in the cervical or lumbar spine, and how significant the stenosis is. See your spinal specialist. ...Read more

All areas of spine: Spinal stenosis refers to a condition in which the bony canal protecting the spinal nerves becomes too small and starts pinching the nerves. It most commonly occurs in the neck and back causing either neck/back pain or arm/leg pain. ...Read more

Evaluation: First, a clinical exam with a history taken to see if symptoms are consistent with spinal stenosis then most likely a MRI or ct would be indicated next to confirm diagnosis. ...Read more

No: It will not.

Multiple options: First, it can be diagnosed in up to 20% of people over 60. Sometimes this is picked up on a study because it is common & may not be the source of your symptoms. If it is your correct diagnosis, exercise sometimes initiated with physical therapy, over the counter medication or perscription ones &/or injections like epidural steroids may help. Most don't get worse, only about 15% do. Surgery last. ...Read more

No: Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal that contains the spinal cord or nerve roots. Rhizotomy may address pain from degenerative facet joints of the spine. It does not take the pressure off the nerves or spinal cord present in spinal stenosis. ...Read more

Surgery: Spinal stenosis or compression of the nerves can be alleviated with surgical decompressive laminectomy (unroofing of the spinal canal) with or without fusion -but, the symptoms sometimes partially remain present. Pain, weakness and or numbness usually does get better though, at least partially. ...Read more

Likely: Spinal stenosis is a structural problem which progresses slowly and steadily over the years due to wear and tear and arthritic changes. Surgical approaches are the only long-term answers to alter the narrowing, but you can cope with a variety of therapies, exercises and even occasional medicines. Surgery is usually reserved for folks who are becoming progressively disabled due to the stenosis. ...Read more

Gradual: It is really typically more of a gradual, progressive proceed from degenerative changes in the spine rather than a condition that has real discreet stages. ...Read more

Narrowing of canal: Narrowing of spinal canal worse on one side. ...Read more

Common problem: Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common problem especially for those older than 50. It can be managed conservatively in many patients for years. If surgery becomes necessary, it can be planned on an elective basis. Check out spine-health. Com. ...Read more

Yes: Both children and adults can suffer from spinal stenosis. In children, spinal stenosis is usually as a result of a congenital problem. In adults, the narrowing of the spinal canal often results from arthritis or instability of the spinal column. ...Read more

Weakness: Spinal stenosis complications depend on the region of the stenosis. Weakness, numbness. Tingling, paralysis, incontinence of bowel and bladder are all known complications. Talk with your doctor about specific complications based on the location of your stenosis. ...Read more

Unlikely: Unlikely, but there are syndromes that are associated with smaller than average spinal canals that have a genetic basis. ...Read more

Reduced spinal canal: Reduction in the spinal canal whether in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar. Usually causing neurogenic claudicatory symptoms like pain going down the legs or arms.
If these are going on, you definitely need to see a specialist ...Read more

Holes in vertebrae: Usually spinal stenosis is referring to narrowing of the large canal in the vertebrae that the spinal cord travels through, while foraminal stenosis refers to a narrowing of one of the smaller canals between the vertebrae through which nerves leave from the spinal cord and go to your limbs or trunk. ...Read more

Decompression: Spinal stenosis only matters if it is severe enough to compress the spinal cord or nerve roots. If there is no spinal cord or nerve root compression, then the stenosis is irrelevant. There are open and minimally invasive ways to decompress the spinal canal. Be sure to go to someone like me who is trained and experienced in every spinal procedure for stenosis, not just a subset of them. ...Read more

Depends: Depends on how severe the stenosis is. If moderate to severe, and you have failed conservative treatments such as pain management and physical therapy, you may want to discuss your options with a spine surgeon. ...Read more

Many: Bachache, root pain baladder and bowl symptoms and sensory symptoms. Typically symptom are worsened after physical activity. ...Read more

Last Resort: Yes, surgery is recommended after you fail conservative non-surgical treatments -- including nsaids, pt, epidural injections. If you continue to have persisting symptoms, then surgery could offer some great symptomatic relief of your extremity symptoms. Consult a spine surgeon.

Also surgery if you start experiencing progressive neurological deficit, or changes in your bowel or bladder function. ...Read more

Sort of...: Spinal stenosis means there is decreased space available for the spinal sac & spinal nerves. This can be due to pressure from bulging discs, arthritic joints, thickening of the spinal ligaments, tumors, congential problems, etc. Foraminal stenosis is decreased space available for one of the individual nerves around the area that it exits off the main spinal canal (known as the neural foramen). ...Read more

Too small a canal: It is when the canal of the spine becomes too narrow for the contents-- compressing the neural/nerve tissue to a degree causing symptoms of pain/ numbness/tingling/weakness with standing/walking better sitting or bending over. This is due usually to degenerative changes occuring over time and can be related to the size canal he was born with- smoking can accelerate these degenerative changes. ...Read more

Unilateral symptoms: Usually means there is different degree of stenosis between the left and right. ...Read more