Spinal stenosis occurs due to the narrowing of the bony spaces of your spinal cord or/and your spinal nerves. This spacing might not only squeeze your spinal nerve or spinal cord but also spread to several locations along your spine. Spinal stenosis is more probable to happen to people above the age of sixty years and continues to worsen with an increase over the years. Dr. Skaribas is a spinal stenosis Memorial Area specialist who will analyze your condition and give you the best positive outcomes you desire. Meanwhile, look at some of the symptoms you might experience.
- Gait Problem
Spinal stenosis can alter your walking style in various ways depending on its position on the spine, for instance:
- Lumbar spinal stenosis might bring about gait problems because of foot drops.
- Cervical spinal stenosis (neck region) and spinal cord squeezing may cause problems in sustaining balance while you walk, mostly during the night. Nevertheless, this stenosis condition with a squeezed nerve will not induce gait imbalance.
Gait changes might be very minute to note in the beginning. However, with time, the problem might manifest in gradually increasing falls.
- Neurogenic Claudication
When there is a squeeze in the nerves of your lower back, your legs might suffer neurogenic claudication. The characteristics of neurogenic claudication are discomfort during standing and a challenge when performing upright workouts. Normally, neurogenic claudication discomfort is relieved when you lean forward, sit, or squat. Your doctor should differentiate this discomfort from vascular claudication as it imitates neurogenic claudication.
- Foot Drop
A squeeze to the L5 and L4 nerve roots may result in motor fragility in your foot, causing a foot drop. Typically, foot drop brings about a sense of fatigue when you try to raise your toes or foot upwards. Therefore, the person might either stagger while trying to walk or unintentionally yank their foot. Squeezing the S1 nerve root could result in fragility when you walk on tip-toes.
- Slackened Motor Skills
Cervical spine stenosis might cause problems in performing duties that require excellent hand-motor skills, like buttoning your shirt. In the progressive stages, a writing problem might develop, resulting in the impossibility of holding a pen.
- Sciatica
Based on the affected nerve roots, the squeezing of lower back nerve roots might result in sciatica or lumbar radiculopathy. Sciatica causes nerve discomfort, and fatigue is commonly felt from one leg to another.
The nerve roots involved determine the region of discomfort, such as your foot, calf, leg, thigh, buttock, and lower back. A stingy sensation, tingling, fatigue, and numbness may also arise in the regions experiencing discomfort.
- Radiating Arm Discomfort
Cervical spinal stenosis might result in either mild or moderate electric-like discomfort or burn in the arms, shoulder, and neck. You might also experience unusual sensations, like numbness, crawling, and tingling might in both hands, eventually causing the hands and arms to feel fatigued.
Spinal stenosis is hardly noticeable at first, but with time, it becomes a more severe problem. Therefore, it is prudent for you to go down to your doctor to get yourself the right medication as early as possible. Dr. Skaribas and his team of specialists at Expert Pain are ready to aid in your journey to relieve you of spinal stenosis. Visit their offices today or book an appointment via mobile.