What does moderate spinal canal stenosis mean?

What does moderate spinal canal stenosis mean?

Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spaces in your spine, can compress your spinal cord and nerve roots exiting each vertebrae. Age-related changes in your spine is a common cause. Symptoms include back and/or neck pain, and numbness, tingling and weakness in your arms and legs.

What causes moderate central canal stenosis?

Central canal stenosis typically occurs due to degenerative changes in the spine’s bones, joints, discs, and/or ligaments. Other potential causes of central canal stenosis include trauma, infections, and metabolic conditions that may affect the spine.

Is moderate central canal stenosis a disability?

If you have spinal stenosis and you believe that it is permanent and it will force you to be out of work for at least 1 year, then you could be considered disabled by the SSA and could qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Does moderate spinal stenosis require surgery?

Spinal Decompression and Spinal Fusion: Will You Need Surgery for Spinal Stenosis? Most patients with cervical or lumbar spinal stenosis respond well to non-surgical treatments (such as medication), so you may not need spine surgery. However, there are situations when you may want to go ahead with spine surgery.

How is moderate spinal stenosis treated?

Spinal stenosis is commonly treated with medication, both over-the-counter and prescription. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain and inflammation. Examples of over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).

What is the difference between mild and moderate spinal stenosis?

For the visual image evaluation, the central canal was visually classified into three grades: 0 = normal or mild changes (ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and/or osteophytes and/or or disk bulging without narrowing of the central spinal canal), 1 = moderate stenosis (central spinal canal is narrowed but spinal fluid is …

Is central canal stenosis the same as spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of one or more bony openings (foramina) in the vertebrae of the spine. When spinal stenosis occurs in the spinal canal, it is called central canal stenosis and may cause compression of the spinal cord.

What is the prognosis of spinal stenosis?

In most cases the prognosis for spinal stenosis is very good. Many people can obtain good relief of their symptoms with nonsurgical treatment. In some case, as the stenosis becomes more severe, the nonsurgical treatment become less effective. For those patients, surgery is a good option to consider.

How serious is foraminal stenosis?

Severity of foraminal stenosis. This condition often develops as a result of herniated discs, bulging discs, bone spurs, facet cysts and thickening of the ligaments. When the nerves become pinched as they exit the tunnel, this can increase the severity of your condition, resulting in back pain, numbness, tingling and weakness.

What is treatment for severe stenosis?

While conventional treatments for stenosis include taking medications to lower inflammation or pain — and sometimes in severe cases spinal surgery — natural treatments including exercise, stretching, physical therapy and warming/icing the painful area can also be highly effective.

Can cervical spinal stenosis be cured?

There is no cure for spinal stenosis, but there are treatments to help relieve symptoms. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can ease swelling and pain.