Diagnosing and Treating Spinal Stenosis Caused by Trauma

Spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of a channel or space within the spinal column, can cause debilitating and chronic pain, cramping, numbness, and weakness in the affected parts of your body. When a channel narrows, pressure is placed on a nerve, causing radiating pain and other problems in the area of the body that the nerve innervates. The channel that is involved in spinal stenosis is a bony space that runs through your vertebrae, which is the area where your spinal cord is located. When you develop spinal stenosis as a result of trauma, there is no longer sufficient room for your spinal cord and the peripheral nerves that lead from it to your extremities.

Causes of spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis can be caused by aging when degeneration of your body causes bone spurs to develop. When bone spurs grow, they can invade the channel and place pressure on your spinal cord. Spinal ligaments and joints that deteriorate can also use stenosis. Some people have hereditary conditions that cause them to be born with canals that are too narrow. This can lead to young people developing spinal stenosis.

Disc herniations can also cause spinal stenosis. When one part of your spine is affected by a herniated disc, it can place pressure on the spinal cord. The portion of the disc that bulges is what causes spinal stenosis. The vertebral column can also become misaligned and unstable because of slipped vertebrae and discs. The resulting misalignment can place pressure on the peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. Herniated discs and slipped discs may be caused by trauma. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident or are injured in a fall, your vertebrae may be misaligned or fractured. If a fracture occurs, a portion of the bone might break off and become lodged in your spinal channel. Trauma-acquired spinal stenosis can cause severe pain. Instead of occurring gradually over the aging process, injury-related spinal stenosis happens instantly and gives people no time to adjust or get treatment before the pain worsens.

Spinal stenosis types

Spinal stenosis most frequently occurs in the cervical or lumbar regions of the spine. Cervical spinal stenosis occurs in the spine's neck region. Lumbar spinal stenosis occurs in the spinal region of the lower back. It is far more common to experience lumbar spinal stenosis, which occurs in 75% of the reported cases. While lumbar spinal stenosis occurs more frequently, cervical stenosis is more serious. If you suffer cervical spinal stenosis, it can cause chronic pain or paralysis. Cervical spinal stenosis caused by trauma should be treated immediately.

If you experience lower back pain or pain that radiates down into your legs, you can perform a simple test to try to determine whether you might be suffering from lumbar stenosis. If you sit down and feel relief from your pain or do so while standing and leaning forward, you may have lumbar spinal stenosis. These actions alter the alignment of your vertebrae, leading to relief through the widening of your spinal canal.

Symptoms of spinal stenosis

According to the National Institutes of Health, the symptoms that you might experience from spinal stenosis will depend on its location and the impacted nerves. For cervical spinal stenosis, the following symptoms are common:

• Tingling, numbness, or weakening of the hand, arm, foot, or leg

• Difficulty balancing and walking

• Neck pain

• Bladder or bowel dysfunction

If you suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis, you might experience the following symptoms:

• Lower back pain

• Numbness or tingling in the legs or feet

• Weakness in the legs or feet

• Cramping or pain in the legs when you stand for a long period with relief provided by leaning forward

Many people who suffer from spinal stenosis experience pain that radiates down the arms or legs, depending on the location of the stenosis. If you suffer from severe pressure on your spinal cord because of an injury, you can lose control of your bladder and bowels, lose sexual functioning, and experience numbness, weakness, or pain in one or both of your legs. Severe spinal stenosis can also result in paralysis if it is not treated quickly.

How spinal stenosis is diagnosed

Doctors may ask a series of questions when spinal stenosis is suspected. They might ask when the pain started and about the injury that you suffered that could have resulted in your pain. Your doctor might ask you where the pain is located and what its intensity is. You may be asked if the pain is radiating to other areas of your body and any factors that might make the pain worsen or improve. Your doctor might also ask you about your health and medical history.

After asking questions, your doctor will likely perform a physical exam. He or she may look at the range of motion in your spine or neck, check your reflexes, and examine your motor skills and ability to experience the sensation.

After asking questions and performing a physical exam, your doctor may then perform diagnostic tests. You might undergo an x-ray, MRI, or CT scan. These can show your doctor whether your spinal canal has narrowed because of intrusions from fragmented bone, disc herniations, or slipped discs.

Treatment of spinal stenosis

The Mayo Clinic reports that the treatment of spinal stenosis will depend on its severity and location. Your doctor might prescribe pain relievers, including ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen for short-term use. If you suffer from chronic pain, you might be prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant, because certain antidepressants have been shown to relieve pain. Anti-seizure drugs might be prescribed if you suffer from pain caused by damaged nerves, and opioids might be prescribed to relieve severe pain.

Physical therapy is commonly used to address some of the symptoms of spinal stenosis. Therapy can help to build your strength, improve your balance, and maintain your spine's stability and flexibility. Steroid injections might be used at the nerve root to reduce inflammation and the pressure on your spinal cord. Finally, if you are not receiving relief from any of the other types of treatments, your doctor might recommend surgery.  Because of the serious nature of these injuries and the potential for extensive medical costs associated with treatment, you may also want to consult a spinal injury attorney if you believe that the trauma was due to the negligence of another party such as in a motor vehicle collision or slip and fall claim.  This may help to understand your options to file a legal claim and have the medical costs paid by that party or entity in addition to being compensated for other damages such as pain and suffering, lost income and the like.