Health and Fitness Facts

Thoracic spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal cord or spinal nerves are compressed by narrowing of the spinal canal or the openings between vertebrae. The thoracic spine has some unique characteristics that make thoracic spinal stenosis a little different than stenosis in other areas. Thoracic spinal stenosis rarely occurs in isolation, but is almost always accompanied by stenosis in the lumbar area, and sometimes also the cervical spine.

There are 12 thoracic vertebra and they articulate with the 12 sets of ribs that protect our major organs. The thoracic spine curves outward, and the curve is gentler than the cervical or lumbar curves. Because of the ribs, the thoracic spine is more fixed than the cervical or lumbar areas, too. Most of the motion of the thoracic spine is rotation, with little flexion or extension.

The spinal canal is naturally narrower in the thoracic area, even though the size of the spinal cord remains the same. That means there is less extra space, so it takes less obstruction to cause problems.

Symptoms
Like cervical and lumbar spinal stenosis, thoracic spinal stenosis can be congenital or acquired. There is a great deal of difference, however, in how it is manifested.

Most thoracic spinal stenosis is due to degenerative changes arthritis in the joints, bone spurs, disc degeneration and other changes due to aging. As the degeneration progresses, you may experience pain in your back and legs, either aching in your legs when you walk that gets better when you rest, or pain that radiates down your back or legs. You may develop problems with walking or loss of bowel or bladder function.

Because the thoracic spinal canal is already naturally narrow, people with congenital spinal stenosis cannot tolerate any extra pressure on the spinal cord. They tend to develop symptoms of cord compression (loss of sensation or movement below the injury) rapidly after minor injury.

There are 3 main types of spinal stenosis found in the human backbone. Stenosis is one of the most common potentially degenerative back and neck pain conditions diagnosed and treated within the modern dorsopathy industry and may relate to a great number of causative conditions. Being that spinal stenosis is such a broad and often confusing topic, patients are advised to do diligent research once diagnosed, in order to better their chances for effective and successful treatment.

So, what exactly is spinal stenosis anyway? The term stenosis means a narrowing or decrease in available space. When applied in various sections of the spine, this condition describes situations in which typical anatomical spaces are narrowed due to one or more causative or contributory structural issues. Spinal stenosis is a normal and expected part of the aging process for most people and in mild to moderate forms is unlikely to enact any pain or related neurological symptoms at all. All varieties of spinal stenosis can be found anywhere in the spine, but are most prevalent in the mid to lower cervical levels and the lower lumbar levels.

There are 3 different varieties of spinal stenosis. The first, central canal stenosis, also called central spinal stenosis, is the most dangerous and potentially the most symptomatic. This condition is described as a narrowing of the main spinal canal which contains the thecal sac, the spinal nerves and the spinal cord itself. This central canal runs throughout the spine, down through the vertebral foramen, which is the large open hole in the middle of each vertebral bone. Central canal stenosis usually enacts symptoms on the spinal cord in the cervical and thoracic levels and the cauda equina in the lumbar levels. Effects can range from none to complete disability, making central stenosis a highly variable and potentially lethal diagnostic verdict.

Neuroforaminal stenosis is a different kind of spinal narrowing. At each vertebral level, nerves branch off the spinal cord and exit the spinal canal through openings called neuroforamen, or simply, foramen. When these openings become narrowed, the patient may be diagnosed with foraminal stenosis. If the opening becomes closed off to a sizable degree, the nerve may become compressed as it tries to exit the spinal canal. This is commonly called a pinched nerve, or in medical terms, a compressive neuropathy.

The last major type of spinal stenosis is called lateral stenosis or lateral recess stenosis. The lateral recess is the area to the sides of the spinal canal through which the nerve roots must pass as they head towards the neuroforamen. Certain conditions can cause narrowing in this anatomical region as well, enacting the lateral stenosis condition. Of all types of stenosis, this one is the most rare for actually causing symptoms, since the lateral recess is more than large enough to accommodate most nerves despite a significant degree of stenotic change.

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