Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Spinal stenosis involves the narrowing of one or more of openings through which key spinal nerves pass. When these nerve passages shrink, nerves become compressed, irritated or damaged, leading to localized or radiating symptoms.

Oftentimes these openings narrow as a result of natural aging and structural degeneration over the years, but medical experts believe other factors may contribute to spinal stenosis onset. To learn more about the possibility of genetic factors playing a role in a person’s spinal stenosis risk, researchers conducted a large scale study. We take a closer look at the results from that study on the genetic factors influencing spinal stenosis risk in today’s blog.

Genetic Component To Spinal Stenosis

To better understand how genetics influence spinal stenosis risk, researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed genetic and health data from more than 780,000 individuals. Researchers noted that spinal stenosis affects roughly 100 million people globally, so learning more about hereditary components can assist with risk assessment and treatment protocols. According to researchers:

• 73 previously unknown genetic regions associated with the risk of lumbar spinal stenosis were identified.
• They confirmed a link between 15 loci that had been previously associated with increased spinal stenosis risk.
• In patients who had already undergone surgery due to severe spinal stenosis, researchers identified 32 genetic regions that were associated with more advanced forms of the disease.
• Many of the genetic regions identified in the study are linked to biological pathways involved in spinal structure, degenerative processes and nervous system function.

Researchers believe the findings can help explain why some people develop symptomatic spinal stenosis while others with similar age-related changes remain unaffected.

It’s clear that a genetic component may contribute to spinal stenosis onset, but know that you’re not just at the mercy of your genes when it comes to spine health. Having some of these genetic risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean that you will develop spinal stenosis, and winning the genetic lottery doesn’t mean you’ll have impeccable spine health into retirement. Controlling the modifiable factors and striving to live a lifestyle that is supportive of your long-term spine health will do more for your spinal stenosis risk than genetics alone. We tell our patients all the time that they can only control certain aspects of their spine health, so focus on what you can control and don’t sweat the things you can’t.

If you’re looking to take more control over your spine health or treat the early stages of spinal stenosis, connect with a specialist in your area who has been doing that with patients for decades. In the greater Twin Cities area, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute by calling (651) 430-3800.

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