Stenosis, which occurs in the spine, is called canal stenosis. Narrowing in the spaces of the spine can cause many disorders. When nerves are compressed, patients may not be able to perform some vital activities properly and accurately. In this article, you can find the symptoms, causes, types, diagnosis, and treatment methods of canal stenosis.
Contents:
What Are the Symptoms of Canal Stenosis?
What Causes Canal Stenosis?
What Are the Types of Canal Stenosis?
How Is Canal Stenosis Diagnosed?
Spinal Stenosis Treatment
What You Need to Know About Stenosis Surgery
What Are the Symptoms of Canal Stenosis?
There are some symptoms of spinal narrowing. Although they may not occur with the same frequency and severity in everyone, similar symptoms are indicative of stenosis. Stenosis symptoms can be seen in the neck and back. According to the location where it occurs, stenosis symptoms can be listed as follows:
In the neck (cervical stenosis): Weakness, numbness, and tingling in the hand, arm, foot or leg.
Mild imbalances.
Walking problems, decreased synchronization in the legs.
Dysfunction of intestines and bladder.
Incontinence and urinary leakage.
In the lower back (lumbar stenosis): Back pain.
Pain and cramps in the legs when standing for a long time.
Numbness, weakness, or tingling in one leg or foot.
Most patients complain of severe back and nerve pain. The most important symptom of stenosis is that the pain increases while working and decreases while resting.
What Causes Canal Stenosis?
Although there are a few reasons for stenosis, aging is the most common cause. As people age, the cells in their body begin to lose their ability to regenerate. The degenerative process that occurs in the body begins to thicken the tissues. Conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases can also trigger stenosis formation. Other conditions that can cause canal narrowing are: Congenital narrowness of the spinal cord structure.
Benign or malignant tumors that occur in bones.
Spinal defects that occur at birth.
Achondroplasia (develops due to dwarfism).
Herniated discs.
Curvatures that occur in the spine such as kyphosis or scoliosis.
Piaget's bone disease; this disease causes abnormal bone destruction in the body, followed immediately by reconstruction.
What Are the Types of Canal Stenosis?
There are two types of stenosis: cervical stenosis and lumbar stenosis. Narrowing is seen in the neck area with cervical stenosis, while narrowing is in the back area with lumbar stenosis. The most frequently seen area of stenosis is the lower part of the back, L4-L5 and L5-S1. The reason why it is more common in this region is that the center of gravity of the body is in this area. Spinal stenosis is more common in men than in women. It progresses slowly, and initial symptoms are generally ignored by patients. However, as the symptoms intensify, patients have to seek medical attention. It is generally detected after trauma.
Stenosis means constriction. There is also a type of stenosis called pyloric stenosis which is caused by gastrointestinal diseases. An excessively thickened pylorus muscle causes narrowing at the exit of the stomach. It can cause vomiting and other digestive system complaints, especially in babies. It is a digestive system-originated disorder, unlike nerve system and spinal disorders.
How Is Canal Stenosis Diagnosed?
When diagnosing stenosis, the patient's history and complaints are evaluated first. Then a detailed physical examination and evaluation are performed. Some imaging tests are then performed. These tests can be listed as follows: X-ray, MRI or CT scan to visualize the spine
Electromyogram to evaluate spinal nerves
Bone scanning tests to understand whether growth and damage have occurred in the spine.
Spinal Stenosis Treatment
The type and support of treatment for spinal narrowing depend on the location and degree of stenosis. Generally, stenosis treatment can consist of physical therapy, surgery, and medication. The decision of which treatment to use is based on the patient's condition. In cases where symptoms are mild, doctor monitoring and initial stage physical therapy will be sufficient. Pain relievers can also be used to reduce the patient's complaints.
In areas where the spinal cord compresses due to spinal stenosis, nerve roots can become deformed and swollen. Steroid drugs (corticosteroids) applied from the point where stenosis occurs first reduces inflammation and pain. It helps to reduce swelling in the area. The amount of appropriate dose should be determined by the attending physician, and it should not be exceeded.
However, just like in any other illness, exercise and physical activity are supportive and healing for treatment. Furthermore, not doing exercise causes unused muscles to weaken. Physiotherapy exercises that are appropriate for your health status and condition help you regain your muscle strength and promote stenosis healing. Physical activity makes it easier to maintain the flexibility and ideal stability of the spine. Additionally, it increases a person's balance and adaptability to the outside world.
Another method applied in stenosis treatment is the decompression procedure. Doctor follow-up and control are critical since the procedure is performed without general anesthesia. Needle-like tools are used in this procedure. Some of the thickened connective tissue behind the spinal column is removed by applying these products similar to needles. However, this treatment is not used for patients with cervical stenosis. It can be used for patients with lumbar stenosis and thickening connective tissue behind the spinal column.
What You Need to Know About Stenosis Surgery
If the patient's health status and spine structure are not suitable for physical therapy, surgical intervention may be necessary for spinal stenosis. The purpose of spinal stenosis surgery is to enlarge the narrowings that occur in the spinal canal. In this way, the pressure applied to the nerves and resulting dysfunction is eliminated. It is essential to get multiple opinions and have an experienced surgeon perform the operation in the area. Some surgical methods used in spinal stenosis are:
Laminectomy: In this application, the back part (lamina) of the spine affected by stenosis is removed.
Laminotomy: Only a part of the lamina is typically removed to remove the pressure created by stenosis from a specific area.
Laminoplasty: This is a surgical method used in cervical stenosis treatment. A hinge-like structure is formed on the lamina to open the space in the spinal canal. Then the gap in the opened section of the spine is closed with metal equipment.
Minimal invasive surgery: In this surgical method, bone or lamina is removed in a way that will relieve the tissue around the stenosis.
As with any operation, there is a risk of complications in spinal stenosis. Therefore, doctor control and follow-up are important points to prevent infection, detect early signs of blood clotting in the vessels, and take measures against neurological impairments after surgery.
As with all diseases, early diagnosis is crucial in the treatment of canal narrowing (stenosis). Patients experience fewer and milder pain processes, and the chances of recovery without surgery increase. The first thing patients diagnosed with stenosis need to pay attention to is that treatment is a whole. Regular exercise together with medication therapy makes it easier to strengthen the spine both internally and externally. While doing exercises within the scope of stenosis treatment, it is critical to progress with physiotherapist assistance and correct exercises. After surgical intervention, antibiotics and other drugs recommended by your doctor should be used regularly to eliminate the risk of infections and not to abandon medication therapy. Do not neglect your doctor's control and examination to reach the most appropriate solution and treatment for canal narrowing (stenosis), do not postpone your health.