Fayetteville Fayetteville Accident and Injury Center Can Help Your Spinal Stenosis
Inside your spine, you have natural small spaces between the vertebrae and canal that runs the length of the spine that holds all of your spinal nerves. When that small space somehow changes and the canal gets narrow around those nerves, you end up with spinal stenosis. It usually occurs in the neck, known as cervical stenosis, and in the lower back, known as lumbar stenosis, which is the most common kind according to Mayo Clinic.
Causes of Spinal Stenosis
Though some people are born predisposed to the condition because they were born with a small spinal canal, spinal stenosis mostly occurs when something happens to the spinal column. Conditions like herniated disks, tumors, thickened ligaments, and injuries to the spine cause stenosis. Osteoarthritis most significantly contributes to spinal stenosis. The disease causes bones to begin to wear down, causing more wear and tear to the spine, which would narrow the space between the vertebrae and canal. It also causes bone spurs to grow in the spinal canal. Bone spurs are hard bumps of extra bone that grow on the ends of bones, WebMD says, which significantly narrow that spinal canal. Paget’s disease, which is another type of bone disease, also causes bone spurs in the spine.
Symptoms
Spinal stenosis can be deceptive. Sometimes, people receive a diagnosis but don’t have symptoms. More often though, people have no idea they have spinal stenosis until multiple symptoms start adding up. Because the canal where nerves run is being compressed with this condition, it will cause tingling and numbness primarily because the nerves are being pinched. It’s like trying to drink a thick milkshake through a small straw – not much of the milkshake will come through the straw. In this case, the thick straw is the canal. Because it’s being compressed, not much feeling from the nerves will come through. Other symptoms of spinal stenosis are pain and muscle weakness in the extremities, Mayo Clinic says. Other symptoms are problems walking or with balance, issues with bladder and bowel control, or cramping in your legs, according to Mayo Clinic.
How a Chiropractor Can Help
First, it is important to get a firm diagnosis of spinal stenosis through an MRI or CT scan, Mayo Clinic says. If spinal stenosis goes untreated, it can become permanent and lead to paralysis. So our chiropractors at Fayetteville Accident and Injury Center Fayetteville Accident & Injury Center focus on the underlying condition causing the spinal stenosis. So if your spinal stenosis is caused by a herniated disc, we focus on holistically treating that herniated disc to alleviate your pain and symptoms. Most times, we will utilize a combination of spinal adjustments to realign the spine and open that canal a bit, chiropractor Dr. Thieroff says. In addition to taking the pressure off the spine, stretches and exercises can help loosen tight muscles and then strengthen them.
Contact Fayetteville Accident and Injury Center in Fayetteville, NC!
At Fayetteville Accident and Injury Center, we are here to help holistically treat your pain, so if you suffer from spinal stenosis or are noticing some symptoms, stop in our office, call us at (910) 484-2001 or visit our website to make an appointment today!
