Spinal Stenosis

Back pain is a problem for many people, although the reasons for it vary widely. A motorcycle wreck, pregnancy, and even sitting for many hours on a regular basis may cause temporary or permanent back pain.

Unfortunately, some back pain seems to be an inevitable part of aging, as the body wears down, and the joints become less fluid and mobile. In fact, spinal stenosis -- a narrowing in one part or another of the spine, which may cause pain -- is mostly due to age. However, people with high levels of fluoride in their bodies are also at risk of spinal stenosis. This disease, skeletal fluorosis, is prevalent in areas of about twenty-five countries worldwide where local water supplies naturally have excessive levels of fluoride present.

Because the nerves travel through the spinal column, a narrowing of the spinal column can press on the nerves, causing pain, cramping, tingling, or numbness. The area of discomfort depends on where this narrowing, or stenosis, occurs. If it is in the neck or upper back, a person is more likely to feel pain in the neck, shoulders, or head. If the narrowing is in the middle or lower back, the hips, legs, or feet will be affected. Depending on the severity and the place of the stenosis, a person suffering from spinal stenosis may have a loss of balance, suffer muscle weakness, or even lose control of the bladder or bowels.

Often, people complain of "sciatica," as if it were a disease itself. In fact, sciatica refers to a group of symptoms, which may have several underlying causes, including spinal stenosis. Because the sciatic nerve passes through several vertebrae, compression causing sciatica may occur at any place in the spinal column from the small of the back (the lumbar region) down. The symptoms of sciatica are often felt only on one side of the body, manifesting as pain, numbness, a tingling in the feet, or difficulty moving the leg.

While it may be impossible to fully prevent age-related spinal stenosis and sciatica, regular exercise, including walking, biking and stretching will help to reduce risk, as will maintaining good posture while sitting, driving and lifting, and attaining a healthy weight.