Surgical Management of Spinal Stenosis
Edited By: Richard J. Bransford, M.D.
Last updated Friday, December 23, 2005
SummaryOverview Spinal stenosis is a fairly common problem caused by
constriction of the spinal cord or nerves exiting from the spinal cord. This
can occur in the neck (cervical) as well as the lower back (lumbar) and on rare
occasion, in the central (thoracic) spine.
The symptoms associated with central stenosis (or stenosis
of the spinal cord) are usually an aching in the legs, loss of balance, or loss
of bowel and bladder control.
The symptoms associated with foraminal stenosis (or
tightening of the exiting nerves or nerve roots) are numbness, tingling,
burning, or weakness in a particular area of the arm or leg. This is sometimes called radiculopathy.
Sometimes symptoms can be alleviated in the early phases of
spinal stenosis with anti-inflammatories, lifestyle modification, or injections
into or around the spinal column. When
these steps are no longer sufficient or adequate, surgery can be used to
alleviate the symptoms.
Surgery can be beneficial by enlarging the canals or tunnels
through which the spinal cord or nerve roots run. Sometimes surgery can be
relatively simple and easy, and a procedure similar to those a Roto-rooter (TM)
is used. Sometimes the surgery is more complex and will require a more extensive
procedure, such as a fusion. The surgery complexity depends on what is causing
the stenosis. Surgery for at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call 206-598-4288 (outside the Seattle area: 800-440-3280) to make an appointment.
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