Can spinal stenosis cause joint pain?

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of spaces in the spine that results in pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. When it is caused by rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis can severely disrupt joint function.

Can spinal stenosis affect the whole body?

Also called cervical spinal stenosis, or simply spinal stenosis, the condition is most common in adults ages 30-50 and affects about twice as many men as women. And while neck pain is a common primary symptom, cervical stenosis can gradually cause many more symptoms that affect much of your body.

Can spinal stenosis cause arthritis?

This puts pressure on the facet joints. As they feel more pressure, they too deteriorate, leading to arthritis. The arthritis can cause the ligaments around the joints to thicken and enlarge, decreasing space in the spinal canal for nerves to pass through. The cartilage that protects joints wears away as well.

Is spinal stenosis a joint disease?

The most common cause of spinal stenosis is osteoarthritis, the gradual wear and tear that happens to your joints over time. Spinal stenosis is common because osteoarthritis begins to cause changes in most people's spines by age 50. That's why most people who develop symptoms of spinal stenosis are 50 or older.

Is spinal arthritis the same as spinal stenosis?

Osteoarthritis is a condition typically associated with older adults that can degenerate into worse symptoms. Spinal stenosis refers to the narrowing of the spinal column, which contains the spinal nerves.

Five Signs that Spinal Stenosis Is Causing Your Back

What activities should be avoided with spinal stenosis?

What is considered severe spinal stenosis?

Symptoms of Severe Spinal Stenosis

When spinal stenosis progresses to the severe stage, that means there has been substantial narrowing of the spinal canal. This can occur due to several different factors, but is most commonly caused by degeneration of the discs, vertebrae and spinal ligaments.

What is the life expectancy of someone with spinal stenosis?

Answer: Yes, you do have to live with it for the rest of your life. However, many patients with spinal stenosis live life in the absence of pain or with minimal symptoms.

Is walking good for spinal stenosis?

Walking is a good exercise for spinal stenosis. It's low impact, and you control the pace and distance.

How does spinal stenosis affect the legs?

With lumbar stenosis, it's common to feel numbness or tingling in one leg or foot, weakness in your leg, and pain or cramping after standing for long periods of time. Lumbar stenosis can make it difficult to walk and often feels better when you lean forward and relieve the pressure on your lower vertebrae.

What does pain from spinal stenosis feel like?

Symptoms of lower back (lumbar) spinal stenosis include: Pain in the lower back. Pain is sometimes described as dull ache or tenderness to electric-like or burning sensation. Pain can come and go.

Is spinal stenosis a form of osteoarthritis?

The condition is commonly caused by wear-and-tear on the spine related to osteoarthritis. So, it's more likely to happen as someone ages. But people with other types of arthritis and related conditions that affect the spine may develop spinal stenosis.

What is the best thing to do for spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is commonly treated with medication, both over-the-counter and prescription. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain and inflammation. Examples of over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).

Does spinal stenosis make you tired?

The primary symptom of stenosis at any site is pain and fatigue resulting from pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

What parts of the body does spinal stenosis affect?

Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck. Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms. Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Symptoms can worsen over time.

Does spinal stenosis cause hip pain?

Patients with spinal stenosis or lumbar spinal conditions can also have similar walking difficulties. Their problems usually manifest with hip pain—not in the front part of this hip, but mostly on the back or buttock part, so it's a different type of a hip problem.

What is the best sleeping position for spinal stenosis?

Many people with spinal stenosis find the most comfort sleeping on their side in “fetal position” — that is, with knees curled up toward the abdomen. Another alternative is to sleep in an adjustable bed or recliner that allows the head and knees to remain elevated.

Is sitting good for spinal stenosis?

Bending forward or sitting will relieve the pain because these positions help to open up the spinal canal, but the symptoms recur if you stand straight again. Numbness and tingling can also affect you while weakness is less common.

Can stenosis cause weak legs?

Arthritis, falls, accidents and wear and tear on the bones and joints in the spine also play a part in stenosis. As the lumbar spinal canal shrinks, the nerves that go through it are squeezed. This squeezing may cause back pain, leg pain and leg weakness. Many adults have this kind of stenosis.

What can happen if spinal stenosis is left untreated?

It occurs from spinal stenosis that causes pressure on the spinal cord. If untreated, this can lead to significant and permanent nerve damage including paralysis and death. Symptoms may affect your gait and balance, dexterity, grip strength and bowel or bladder function.

Will I end up in a wheelchair with spinal stenosis?

Disability: In severe cases of spinal stenosis, a patient can end up permanently disabled. This may be through paralysis, or weakness so severe that it is impossible to stand and move as normal. It is not unreasonable to expect severe stenosis to lead to a person being bound to a wheelchair.

What is end stage spinal stenosis?

Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is the end stage of a long-standing disc disease, often at several lumbar segments. It leads to narrowing of the intervertebral disc space and causes secondary changes in the structures bordering the lateral recess and the intervertebral foramina.

What is worse lumbar or cervical stenosis?

The two types of spinal stenosis are lumbar stenosis and cervical stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis is the more common of the two, but cervical spinal stenosis is often more dangerous since it involves compression of the spinal cord.

Are there different levels of spinal stenosis?

There are three main types: central spinal stenosis, lateral recess stenosis, and foraminal stenosis, each of which can happen in any region of the spine (i.e. cervical, thoracic, or lumbar).

Can spinal stenosis cause neuropathy in feet and legs?

The condition can be congenital, meaning some people are born with spinal stenosis, or it can develop with age. Many people with the spine condition develop neuropathy secondary to spinal stenosis, which causes numbness and weakness in arms and legs. The condition can be debilitating at times.