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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Deborah Holmes, PT
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
Complete Physical Therapy
. http://www.phystherapy.com/

What Is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing within the vertebrae of the spinal column that results in too much pressure on the spinal cord (central stenosis) or nerves (lateral stenosis). Spinal stenosis may occur in the neck or in the low back.

The most common causes of spinal stenosis are related to the aging process in the spine

Osteoarthritis is a deterioration of the cartilage between joints. In response to this damage, the body often forms additional bone (called “bone spurs”) to try to support the area. These bone spurs might cause pressure on the nerves as they exit the spinal canal.

Normal aging and wear and tear can result in a flattening of the disks that provide space between each set of vertebrae. This narrowed space allows less room for the nerve to exit from the spinal cord, and sometimes pieces of disk material cause pressure on the nerves.

Spinal injuries, diseases of the bone (such as Paget disease), spinal tumors, and thickening of certain spinal ligaments also may lead to spinal stenosis.

In most cases, symptoms of spinal stenosis can be effectively managed with physical therapy and other conservative treatments. Only the most severe cases of spinal stenosis need surgery or more aggressive treatments.

Spinal stenosis may result in such symptoms as

Pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms and shoulders, legs, or trunk

Occasionally, problems with bowel or bladder function

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Your physical therapist's overall purpose is to help you continue to participate in your daily activities and life roles. The therapist will design a treatment program based on both the findings of the evaluation and your personal goals. The treatment program likely will be a combination of exercises.

Relieve Pain and Increase Movement

Your therapist will design

Special exercises to take pressure off the nerves to relieve pain

Stretching and flexibility exercises to improve mobility in the joints and muscles of your spine and your extremities improving motion in a joint is often the key to pain relief

Strengthening exercises strong trunk muscles provide support for your spinal joints, and strong arm and leg muscles help take some of the workload off your spinal joints

Aerobic exercise to increase tolerance for activities such as walking that might have been affected by the spinal stenosis

This might sound like a lot of exercise, but don't worry research shows that the more exercise you can handle, the quicker you'll get rid of your pain and other symptoms.

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