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• Treat Foraminal Stenosis

How to Treat Foraminal Stenosis

Many patients with chronic back and neck pain have wondered how to treat foraminal stenosis. The term “stenosis” refers to a narrowing, while “foraminal” refers to the open spaces through which spinal nerves travel. As one might imagine, the narrowing of major nerve passageways can press upon or pinch spinal nerves, causing pain and interruption of important nerve functions.

Causes of Foraminal Stenosis

There are a variety of spinal conditions that can cause foraminal narrowing. A herniated disc occurs when an intervertebral disc becomes so weak that it ruptures and expels its inner disc material into the spinal canal. A bulging disc occurs when the disc wall distends and pushes beyond its normal perimeter. Bone spurs are extra growths of smooth bone that the body produces in an attempt to reinforce a weakened spine. All of these conditions can lead to the tissue invasion of spaces in the spinal column, hence the narrowing known as foraminal stenosis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of spinal stenosis often depend on the specific region of the spine that is affected, though they can include any combination of the following:

• Foraminal Cervical Stenosis - this may include numbness or tingling in the neck or upper back. You may experience problems when trying to rotate your head and neck. Pain may be localized, or it may radiate down the upper back and into the shoulders, arms, and hands.
• Foraminal Thoracic Stenosis - this may include pain that seems to surround the rib cage, sternum, and abdomen. You may have trouble twisting from the waist or moving from side to side. A “pins-and-needles” sensation might occur.
• Foraminal Lumbar Stenosis - this is one of the most common forms of foraminal stenosis. Pain in the lower back may remain localized, or you may experience shooting pain that begins in your back and travels down through your buttocks and legs, which is a result of sciatic nerve compression.

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Treatment Options

Once you explore options with your doctor about how to treat foraminal stenosis, you may be ready to consider surgery. Let the experts at Laser Spine Institute (LSI) tell you more about our minimally invasive, endoscopic procedures that can gently remove excess tissue and open nerve routes in the spinal column. Contact us today and receive a free review of your MRI or CT scan.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.