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Spinal stenosis
The vertebral/spinal canal protects the spinal cord
Easy to see: The spinal canal
The spine is made up of vertebral bodies that are connected together by the discs at the front (towards the stomach) and joints at the rear (towards the back). Ligaments additionally secure the spine at the front and the back. The vertebral bodies, discs and ligaments form a canal (vertebral/spinal canal) that is designed to protect the spinal cord and the nerve roots exiting it.
Our discs become more unstable as we get older
As we get older the amount of water in our disc tissues is reduced. The discs become flatter and cracked, making them more unstable. These degenerative (=wear and tear) changes lead to the formation of reactive bone spurs and the protrusion of several ligaments into the spinal canal: the spinal canal slowly becomes narrower and narrower: spinal stenosis.
What is spinal stenosis?
The site of narrowing can be easily seen
Congenital (present at birth) spinal stenosis is a rare form of spinal canal narrowing. It is characterised by symptoms that already develop between 2 to 4 years of age. The wide-spread acquired (degenerative) spinal stenosis is a typical phenomenon in people between 50 and 100 years of age. It affects the lumbar spine extremely often. The cervical spine is the second most common site for spinal stenosis, while the thoracic spine is only rarely affected.
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