1. Putting on the Pressure
Spinal stenosis is the abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis occurs most commonly in the lower back. The nerve roots in the lower spinal cord connect to the legs. The narrowing of the spinal canal sometimes puts pressure on these nerve roots. This causes most of the symptoms of spinal stenosis to occur in the legs. When spinal stenosis happens in the upper back, it affects the arms in addition to the legs.
2. An Arm and a Leg
Spinal stenosis can cause pain and numbness in your legs. These problems can cause weakness. Trouble walking because of these complications isn't abnormal for people with spinal stenosis. In some cases, spinal stenosis can cause severe leg cramps. When these problems surface because of spinal stenosis, relief may be hard to find. In addition to problems with your legs, you may notice these symptoms in your arms if your spinal stenosis is in your upper back.
3. A Pain in the Backside
One of the main symptoms of spinal stenosis is sciatic nerve pain. Sciatica occurs when the large sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back down each leg gets compressed or pinched. Patients feel sciatica in the buttocks and down each leg. Most often, sciatic nerve pain feels like a sharp shooting pain. It is important to note that sciatic nerve pain is a symptom of many different injuries and diseases. Lower back pain may also be noticed when you are suffering from spinal stenosis. This pain will usually be achy, dull and constant.
4. In Rare Instances
If your spinal stenosis is severe, you may notice that you have bladder and bowel problems. These problems are rare and usually only occur in the most severe cases of spinal stenosis. Loss of bladder and bowel control or urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence are treatable with exercises at home. Surgery is sometimes necessary to relieve the pressure on the nerve that is causing the problem.
5. Mistaken Identity
In some cases, no symptoms will be noticeable to people who are suffering from spinal stenosis. Some of the symptoms of spinal stenosis, such as sciatica, are fairly common in the elderly population. It is important to note that spinal stenosis occurs most often in people who are over 50 years old. Because of these facts, doctors sometimes dismiss the symptoms of spinal stenosis as a normal part of aging.
