Spinal stenosis occurs when a blockage decreases the diameter of the central tunnel that descends through the bones of the spinal column. The narrowed canal can compress the nerves that comprise the spinal cord, which passes through the spinal canal. Cervical canal stenosis refers to narrowing of the central canal that descends through the cervical, or neck, region of the vertebral column.
Age-related Spinal Degeneration
The vertebrae of the spinal column are separated by shock absorbing discs made of cartilage. With age, these discs lose their elasticity and can tear and bulge into the spinal canal, according to MayoClinic.com. The discs flatten, and the vertebral joints erode. The body produces more bone cells in an attempt to fix the damaged joints. This can lead to bony spurs called osteophytes that protrude into the cervical spinal canal and cause stenosis. Spinal ligaments thicken with age, and they too can intrude on the spinal canal.
Spine-Health.com notes that most cases of cervical stenosis in the elderly do not cause symptoms, but when narrowing of the central canal is great enough to impinge on the nerves causing spinal cord dysfunction, surgery may be the only solution.
Paget's Disease
Paget's disease can cause the body to have abnormally accelerated rates of bone growth. These fast growing bones tend to be weak, deformed and oversized, according MayoClinic.com. Paget's disease affecting the cervical vertebrae could result in overgrowth of bone inside the central canal of the spinal column, with resultant narrowing of the passage through which the spinal travels.
Spinal Tumors
Both benign and malignant tumors can be especially problematic when they occur in either the bones or the soft tissues of the spinal column.
Tumors of the vertebral bone could protrude into the central canal of the cervical spine, and MayoClinic.com explains that the meninges, membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, can also be vulnerable to tumors. Meningiomas of the cervical spinal cord threaten to cause narrowing of the spinal canal and impingement of the cervical nerves.
Trauma
MayoClinic.com lists spinal injury as another cause of spinal stenosis. Injuries such as vertebral fractures or soft tissue tearing can narrow the canal through displacement of spinal bones and inflammation that causing swollen tissues to block the spine's central passageway.
