Spinal Stenosis: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms

Spinal stenosis occurs when a section of the back narrows and puts pressure the nerves or spinal cord. This compression can cause problems such as numbness in the extremities and bladder dysfunction.

Primary Spinal Stenosis

• In some cases, spinal stenosis occurs at birth. If there are no other contributing factors, this is called primary spinal stenosis.

Acquired Spinal Stenosis

• When changes occur in the spine that come with aging, such as arthritis, it is known as acquired spinal stenosis.

Other Causes

• Other causes of spinal stenosis include traumatic injury to the back, herniated discs and changes to the ligaments. Sometimes spinal tumors can also put pressure on the nerves.

Age

• The most common risk factor for spinal stenosis is age. People over 50 are more susceptible to the conditions that cause spinal stenosis than those who are younger.

Skeletal Fluorosis

• People who have the rare bone disease skeletal fluorosis are also at risk of developing spinal stenosis. This disease is caused by having abnormal levels of fluoride in the bones.