Spinal Stenosis Laser Surgery

How do you know if you have spinal stenosis?  Even if you exhibit symptoms of spinal stenosis, it can still be hard to determine with a simple physical checkup.  The problem is that there are other disorders and conditions that have the same symptoms as spinal stenosis, especially during the beginning stages.  Older people are more likely to develop other degenerative disorders, which can further obfuscate a proper diagnosis.

A doctor will ask you several questions concerning your spinal problems, and may have you perform a simple physical test.  At best, the doctor can only infer that it may be spinal stenosis.  In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will need to run a scan on you.  A few scans that may be done are:

• X-Rays – Though not as detailed as a CT scan or MRI scan, an X-ray will give a detailed image of the bone structure of the spine.  It can identify other bone related problems, such as a fracture or osteophytes, which are bone spurs that grow in response to damaged and degenerated joint surfaces.  Osteophytes are commonly found among elderly people and athletes suffering from sports injuries.
• CT scan – Computed topography is a more advanced type of scan.  It can give detailed images of the bone structure along with soft tissue, so it is easier to distinguish spinal stenosis.  However, it does not provide as much clarity when capturing the soft tissue.  CT scans produce similar images to MRI machines, but the two have a lot of little differences, such as price, the length of the scan, image clarity, side effects and so on.
• MRI scan – This is the scan of choice.  Though it does not capture the skeletal structure of the body, it produces very clear images of the internal soft tissue, including nerves and muscle.  Using an MRI, it is easy to diagnose and pinpoint exactly where the spinal cord is being compressed.

Computed topography and MRI scans each have their own advantages and drawbacks.  In this scenario, the clear choice for analyzing spinal stenosis are MRI scans.  It can clearly show the nerves in the spine and where the source of the pain is.

Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal, which increases pressure on the nerves and can cause pain and numbness.  It is a common spine disorder that affects an estimated half a million Americans, most of whom are over the age of 50 years old.  There are a number of treatment options, ranging from physical therapy to pain medications to spinal stenosis laser surgery.  However, a new treatment option is being researched and is still being tested in humans now.  This experimental device is being labelled the “Superion Interspinous Spacer.”

The Superion Interspinous Spacer is currently meant to aid lumbar (lower back) spinal stenosis.  To insert the device, a doctor will make a small incision in the lower back, and then clear the affected area of the spine.  The device is then fixed between the posterior (back side) bony structures of the vertebraes.  After that, the incision is closed up and the procedure is done.  The way this spacer works is that it maintains adequate space between adjacent vertebrae, which ensures that the forament won’t shrink and pinch the nerves.  The process of installing the Superion spacer is a minimally invasive surgery, and should not require a lengthy recuperation period.

This interspinous spacer study is still in the experimental stages, and is expected to run test trials into 2011.  However, the future of this device looks to be like a promising new way to treat spinal stenosis.  If you want to learn more about the clinical trials with the Superion Interspinous Spacer, go to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ for more information.

There are several risk factors that can increase the chances of developing spinal stenosis.  The most common risk factor is age over 50.  Unfortunately, as your body ages, the spine will begin to weaken as well and may experience some wear and tear.  The ligaments can harden, the discs between vertebrae can wear out, and the bone can grow bone spurs.  Any of these conditions can narrow the spinal canal and create pressure on the nerves and ultimately lead to spinal stenosis.

Other less common risk factors include birth defects and/or injury.  Birth defects, such as achondroplasia (bone disorder that is responsible for the most common type of dwarfism), will put people at greater risk of developing spinal stenosis, due to a natural narrowing of the spinal canal.  Direct trauma to the spine can cause damage to the vertebrae bone, ligaments and spinal discs.  These types of injuries may lead to disorders such as herniated discs that put pressure on the nerves.

Causes of spinal stenosis include:

• Osteoarthritis – The most common cause of spinal stenosis.  The joints between vertebrae begin to deteriorate.  In response to this, the body will begin to grow osteophytes to repair the damaged joints.  These osteophytes will narrow the spinal cavity.
• Spinal Disc Disorders – The cushy discs in the spine will also begin to deteriorate with age and direct injuries.  These discs will flatten and tear and may protrude into the spinal canal.
• Bone Disorders/Diseases – Paget’s disease will increases the rate at which you grow bone.  This produced soft bones that are structurally weak.  Achondroplasia, a disorder that slows down bone growth during fetal development, results in dwarfism.
• Tumors – It is possible for spinal tumors to develop inside the spinal cord that would put pressure on the nerves.

Symptoms you can experience if you have cervical spinal stenosis (neck) is noticeable numbness and weakness in the arms, hands, legs and feet.  It can affect the nerves responsible for maintaining your balance, which may increase clumsiness and falling.   A more serious symptom of cervical spinal stenosis is loss of bladder and bowel control.  For those suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, you may feel pain and cramping in the legs.  These symptoms usually worsen when you keep your body upright while standing or walking, while they often subside when you lean over or sit down.

There are several ways to treat spinal stenosis, ranging from simple physical therapy to possible surgery.  Read more about treatment options and spinal stenosis laser surgery options.

Spinal stenosis is defined as the narrowing of the spinal canal in one or more of the vertebrae.  This narrowing can put pressure on the spinal cord and other nerves that are located along the length of the spine in the spinal canal.  Consequently, this can cause numbness and pain throughout the body.

Spinal stenosis can be classified either as primary or acquired.  Primary spinal stenosis is caused by a birth defect to the spine.  However, this type is uncommon.  Acquired spinal stenosis is developed through changes to the body, mostly due to age, which is much more common.  There are several ways which a person can develop acquired spinal stenosis, but the most common risk factor is age (over 50 years old) and arthritis becomes prevalent.  Other causes include Paget’s disease, herniated disks, spinal tumors, ligament changes and direct injuries that inflict trauma to the spine.

Often, spinal stenosis can lead to intermittent vascular claudication, which causes numbness and pain in the legs because of pressure on the arteries, which results in poor blood circulation to the legs.  A similar symptom is intermittent neurogenic claudication, which puts pressure on the nerves instead.  Compression can also affect the nerves that maintain your balance, presenting difficulties when walking and standing.  Pain can also be experienced in the neck, back and hip areas as well.  In more serious cases, the nerves responsible for bladder control can be hindered as well.

There are quite a few treatment options if you have spinal stenosis.  Simple treatments for less serious cases include physical therapy, NSAIDS (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) and analgesics (Tylenol).  Physical therapy can improve the strength and stability of the spine.  NSAIDS reduce inflammation and analgesics can relieve the pain you may experience.  If these treatment options are not sufficient, then epidural steroid injections to battle inflammation and pain may be the next step.  If all else fails, surgery is the best option.

Surgery procedures that can treat spinal stenosis include decompressive laminotomy and foraminotomy.  Fortunately, spinal stenosis laser surgery is a minimally invasive treatment technique.  There are many advantages of these processes because they are simple, successful and present little risk or stress on the body.