Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition that we have explored in-depth on the blog in the past, but since it’s such a common condition, we wanted to devote even more attention to the problem. As you may be aware, spinal stenosis involves the narrowing of the spinal space through which key spinal nerves pass. When this space narrows, the nerves become impinged, leading to localized or shooting pain. But what can cause these spinal openings to narrow? In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five common causes of spinal stenosis.

What’s Causing My Spinal Stenosis?

A number of different factors and underlying causes can lead to your spinal stenosis onset. Making sure that you understand why spinal stenosis developed in the first place is critical to ensuring that treatment fully addresses the issue. Here’s a look at five common causes of spinal stenosis:

1. Bone Spurs – Arthritic degeneration of some of the bone segments of the spine can lead to the formation of bone spurs. These bony overgrowths take up additional space within the spinal canal and can irritate nearby nerves. Bone spurs can also develop more frequently as a result of a condition called Paget’s disease, which leads to extra bone formation within the spine.
2. Ligament Thickening – Wear and tear can also affect the soft tissues in your spine, and when it hits the ligaments, it can cause them to thicken. Thickened spinal ligaments obviously take up more space than normal ligaments, which means there is less room for nerves to travel unimpeded.
3. Disc Herniation – Disc herniation is another common cause of nerve impingement and spinal stenosis. If degenerative disc disease or acute trauma to a disc causes it to herniate, the soft inner core of the disc can leak outwards into the spinal canal, irritating spinal nerves.
4. Traumatic Injury – A traumatic injury like a fall or a car accident can cause the bones and discs in your spine to shift ever so slightly, or they can heal slightly differently after a fracture. These shifts and adjustments can put pressure on your spinal nerves or the spinal cord itself.
5. Tumor – In rare instances, a tumor can develop within the spinal canal. As the tumor enlarges, the space through which spinal nerves can pass gets smaller until eventually the nerves become compressed. A tumor is the most uncommon cause of spinal stenosis on the list, but it is a reality for a number of Americans every year.

If you’re dealing with spinal stenosis, it’s important that you connect with a spine specialist to get to the bottom of your issue. Not only can figuring out the underlying cause help to dictate treatment, but it can also help your doctor keep the original issue from causing problems again down the road.

If you need help with spinal stenosis or another back condition, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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