Signs and symptoms of Spinal cord stenosis

Spinal narrowing doesn't always cause problems. Problems or symptoms appear only if the narrowed areas compress the spinal cord or spinal nerves. These often start gradually and grow worse over time.

The most common include:

Pain or cramping in the legs
Compressed nerves in your lower spine can lead to a condition called pseudoclaudication which is characterized by pain or cramping in legs when patient is standing or walking for a long time. There is also another type of intermittent claudication which occurs when there's a narrowing or blockage in the arteries in the legs. Although both types of claudication cause similar symptoms, there is one important difference - this type of claudication becomes worse when a patient walks up-hill and improves when standing still. Pseudoclaudication is usually worse when going downhill and gets better when you lean forward or sit down.

Radiating back and hip pain
A herniated disk can compress nerves in lumbar spine, leading to pain that starts in hip or buttocks and extends down the back of leg. The pain is worse when you're sitting and generally affects only one side. Some patients also may experience numbness, weakness or tingling in leg or foot. 

Pain in the neck and shoulders
This is likely to occur when the nerves in the neck are compressed. The pain may occur only occasionally or it may be chronic, and it sometimes can extend into arm or hand. Some patients also reported headaches, a loss of sensation or muscle weakness.

Loss of balance
Pressure on the cervical spinal cord can affect the nerves that control patient’s balance. That’s why many patients complain on clumsiness or a tendency to fall.

Loss of bowel or bladder function
In severe cases, nerves to the bladder or bowel may be affected, leading to partial or complete urinary or fecal incontinence. This happens when the damage is in the low back affecting cauda equina.

Possible causes of spinal cord stenosis

Osteoarthritis
The main cause of spinal degeneration is osteoarthritis, an arthritic condition which affects the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones in joints. When body tries to help and repair the damage, it may cause even more damage because it does so by producing bony growths called bone spurs which then narrow the spinal canal.

Herniated disk
It is proven that by the age of 30, disks may start to show signs of deterioration. These bony formations begin to lose their water content, becoming flatter and more brittle. With time, disk's center to seep out which is causing pressure on the surrounding nerves, causing pain in the back, legs or both.

Ligament changes
The ligaments in the back can undergo the same degenerative changes as bones. They are becoming stiff and thick over time. This loss of elasticity may shorten the spine, narrowing the spinal canal and compressing the nerve roots. 

Spinal tumors
Tumors can also form inside the spinal cord, within the membranes that cover the spinal cord, or in the space between the spinal cord and the vertebrae. Whether they are primary or metastastic, tumors can occur anywhere along the spine, including the sacrum and thoracic spine, where osteoarthritis is rare. Growing tumors may compress the spinal cord and nerve roots. This can lead to several problems in sensory and motoric system.

Injury
Trauma can significantly affect the spine and spinal cord. Sometimes the spine or spinal canal may be dislocated, putting pressure on the cord and lower motor neurons. Results are devastating.

Paget's disease of bone

Because bone is also a living tissue, old bone cells are constantly being removed and replaced by the new ones. In Paget's disease, the body generates new bone at a rate that is faster than normal. This produces soft, weak bones that are prone to fractures. It can also create bones that are deformed or abnormally large. 

Achondroplasia
This isn't such a common condition, and it is caused by the slowing in the rate at which bone forms during fetal development and in early childhood. As a result, people with achondroplasia are of short stature.