Spinal Stenosis Causes

The spinal stenosis causes develop either at birth, which is very rare, or later in life due to degenerative changes in the spine with age. This page lays out the causes of spinal stenosis with an overview of each.

Spinal Stenosis Causes

• Osteoarthritis (arthritis, spondylosis)
• Spondylolisthesis
• Herniated or Bulging Discs (degenerative disc disease)
• Spondylolisthesis
• Facet Arthropathy (facet syndrome, lumbar facet syndrome)
• Congenital stenosis

Part of these changes create secondary or acquired stenotic conditions within the spinal structures that in some cases of spinal canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis that can not be resolved without surgical intervention. However, in cases where stenosis is caused by a bulging disc or herniation spinal decompression may be an effective alternative. An MRI study of the areas involved is necessary to delineate whether or not an area is stenotic due to hard or soft tissue encroachment or crowding of nerve tissue.

Spondylolisthesis
One causative factor is known as spondylolisthesis. If you were to move one of the donuts in the stack forward in relation to the donut (spinal stenosis explanation) above and below you would create a narrowing at that level within the tunnel that would compress the rope. This is a spondylolisthesis, when one vertebra slips forward in relation to the vertebrae above or below the displaced level. A common football injury is the bilateral break in the pars region of the vertebral body upon impact from a tackle from behind.

One can also have a narrowing of the holes that the spinal nerve roots exit out of. This is called neural foraminal stenosis. The spinal nerve roots extend from the spinal cord out through the neural foramina, which are located between each vertebral level of the spinal column.

Herniated or Bulging Disc
Stenosis can also be caused by the bulge of a degenerated disc crowding the spinal canal or neural foramen. Acquired stenosis via the disc bulge may be resolved utilizing a non-surgical approach known as spinal decompression. Open back surgery is often the last resort employed to rid the patient of this debilitating condition, however, every possible option is recommended before resorting to such drastic surgically invasive measures.

Spinal decompression with the Accu-spina IDD Therapy protocol is one such common non-surgical approach for treating acquired stenosis resulting from degenerative disc disease causes such as the disc bulge or herniation.

Facet Arthropathy
Facet arthropathy results from an enlargement of the facet joints of the spine. These joints become enlarged over time due to the natural response of the body to strengthen an area that is stressed due to a biomechanical or musculoskeletal imbalance with the lay down of calcium deposits. As the calcium builds up the joints get bigger and these deposits can cause spurs to form and vertebrae to actually begin to fuse together in advanced cases. Sometimes the calcific buildup accumulates with in the spinal canal and neural foramina creating stenosis of the associated structures. This creates pressures on the nerve tissues and can result in severe pain, muscle spasms and weakness, numbness and tingling of the upper and lower extremities, sciatica, loss of bladder control and function, and difficulty walking. Combinations of some of these symptoms resulting from facet arthropathy are given the name Facet Syndrome or Lumbar Facet Syndrome.

Congenital Stenosis
As this condition is congenital, the stenosis is present at birth. The spinal canal narrowing crowds the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. Congenital stenosis may predispose those affected to degenerative conditions earlier in life.

Spinal Stenosis Topics

• Spinal Stenosis Explanation
• Spinal Stenosis Symptoms
• Spinal Stenosis Treatment
• Spinal Stenosis Exercises