Spinal Stenosis; Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Other Diseases that Resemble Spinal Stenosis

Many neurological and non-neurological conditions resemble spinal stenosis, and your doctor will exclude them based on physical examination and imaging studies. They include:

• Parathyroid disorders: As mentioned above, the parathyroid gland controls the level of calcium in your bones. If the level of parathyroid is increased, the amount of calcium in the bones decreases as well, resulting in bone pain similar to that of spinal stenosis. This bone pain, however, does not cause numbness or muscle weakness.
• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of bone pain worldwide. It can affect virtually all joints in the body. Osteoarthritis of the back can cause pain similar to that of spinal stenosis, but it is unlikely for it to cause any neurological problems.
• Ankylosing spondylitis: Ankylosing spondylitis is a rheumatological condition that mainly affects the joints of the back and hips. It usually occurs in middle-aged males and has a slow course similar to that of spinal stenosis. It, however, does not cause neurological problems and is characterized by early morning stiffness and progressive limitation of movement of back muscles.
• Multiple sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord. It causes significant muscle weakness, spasm, and pain. It also affects the eyes and can cause temporary blindness. The main difference is that multiple sclerosis rarely occurs chronically and usually comes in the form of attacks on one side of the body.
• Meningitis: Meningitis is a serious infection of the coverings of the brain. It occurs when a certain bacterium gains access to the cerebrospinal fluid that flows through the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis can cause severe back spasm and pain and severe neurological manifestations. It also presents with severe vomiting, photophobia and extreme unwellness. It presents within days of the infection and is not chronic.
• Osteomalacia: Osteomalacia is a disease of the bones characterized by the deficiency of vitamin D. It causes the softening of bones and significant bone pain. Osteomalacia alone does not cause neurological manifestations.
• Bone cancer: Bone cancer can originate from the bone itself including osteosarcoma and multiple myeloma. Both can cause bone pain and even neurological manifestations. More commonly, metastatic bone cancer occurs when cancer spreads from other organs such as the breasts or the lungs. Both of those cancers commonly affects the bones of the spine.