Most of our patients first approach our AICA Atlanta Chiropractors knowing that they are suffering from back pain, but not understanding the root causes.
Understanding Spinal Stenosis
In the world of Chiropractic medicine, the term “stenosis” refers to the abnormal narrowing of a particular channel within your body.
When this word is attached to “spinal,” it describes the narrowing of a particular bone channel that’s occupied by the spinal cord or the spinal serves.
Cervical spinal stenosis is rarer than lumbar spinal stenosis and is far more threatening to your health.
Some of the patients we treat are born with a congenital form but develop spinal stenosis as a result of a degenerative series of
events.
Few patients do not experience or notice any effects associated with the narrowing of their spinal bone or nerves. However, this is bound to change with time as eventually everyone who suffers from this condition begins to notice radiating pain, numbness, and weakness.
Although the actual narrowing might take place within different parts of the spine, the symptoms connected to nerve compression tend to be similar.
This is why our Chiropractors will often go through a series of tests to determine the specific cause and location of the narrowing channel.
Knowing The Difference Between Lumbar and Cervical Stenosis
The first fact to keep in mind is that the lower back area develops lumbar stenosis, while the neck is where cervical stenosis derives from.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
This particular condition sees the spinal nerve roots within your lower back compress, which yields specific symptoms associated with sciatica. These symptoms include:
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Sharp pain
Each experienced symptom radiates from the lower back area and down into your legs.
Lumbar spinal stenosis often offers the same type of symptoms that are seen within vascular insufficiency conditions. Both conditions cause claudication, which refers to leg pain that takes place when you walk.
If vascular studies highlight normal blood flow and some signs indicate the existence of spinal stenosis, the symptoms are then referred to as neurogenic claudication.
Lumbar stenosis can develop within any part of your spine, although most of the time it originates at the L4-L5 and L3-L4 parts of your vertebrae.
Cervical Stenosis
Cervical stenosis refers to a condition where your spinal cord becomes compressed and can lead to a series of significant health concerns that include severe weakness or paralysis.
Anyone who develops symptoms associated with cervical stenosis may need surgery to completely recover.