What are spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis?
Stenosis means narrowing in medicine. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of spinal canal and foraminal stenosis is the narrowing of spinal nerve holes (foramen). The most common cause of spinal stenosis is wear and tear or dengeration of spine. Stenoisis starts with spinal disc changes, such as tearing, bulging, scarring, herniating, and narrowing. Gradually, the spinal facet joint becomes inflamed. The ligaments in spinal canal and nerve holes become overgrown. Bone spurs form on the vertebra and facets. These new growths compress spinal cord and spinal nerves. Clinically, lower back pain and leg pain from spinal stenosis is very common. The pain usually worsens when standing and walking. Sitting or taking a break from walking helps. The patient sometimes feels weakness, numbness, tingling in the legs and feet because of nerve pinching or neuritis. Spinal stenosis commonly occurs in the elderly, who exhibit shopping cart syndrome, so called because sufferers prefer to lean on their shop
