Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
- Pain: Pain is the hallmark of spinal stenosis, and back pain can reach an unbearable level when the disease progresses. Pain from spinal stenosis can result either from pressure on the nerves or from the spasm of muscles overlying the stenosed part. Neck pain results when the stenosis occurs in the cervical part of the spine. Although many patients with spinal stenosis are asymptomatic, pain remains the main reason why patients seek medical care. Regarding neck pain, it is usually worse when moving the neck in specific position especially flexion.
- Numbness: When spinal stenosis progresses, it affects the nerves of the spinal cord. This translates as sensory changes which can cause numbness or abnormal sensation of the arms and legs. You may feel this numbness on one side or on both sides.
- Weakness: Our spinal cord contains nerves that also move our muscles, and when they are affected, muscle strength is reduced. Such weakness is progressive, and the more compression on the spinal cord and the longer the time elapsed, the weaker are the muscles. In neck spinal stenosis, and with the progression of the condition, the end result becomes quadriparesis with inability to move the upper or lower limbs.
