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Foramen

Foramen is a word that means “canal,” or opening. Also known by the plural form of the word, “foramina,” these open spaces are found along the spinal column where facet joints fit together and leave a small, hollow space between vertebrae. The spinal canal, a space through which the spinal cord travels from the base of the brain to the lower back, also is a type of foramen.

Each foramen (or “neuroforamen”) contains some adipose tissue (fat), but primarily acts as a passageway for spinal nerves to travel. Starting at the spinal cord, spinal nerve roots branch off in pairs – as a dorsal nerve root and ventral nerve root – and then exit through the foramina on their way to other parts of the body. Naturally, any pressure or constriction that causes any spinal foramen to narrow can transfer that pressure to the spinal nerve roots or the spinal cord. This condition of narrowing is called foraminal stenosis or spinal stenosis, depending on the exact location of the narrowing.

Possible reasons that the foramen may begin to narrow include:

• Degenerative disc disease, normally due to aging.
• Herniated disc, when a rupture causes disc material to leak.
• Bulging disc, which is a contained disc that extrudes into the spinal canal.
• Osteophytes, or bone spurs, which are enlargements of your body’s normal bone structure.

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Foraminal stenosis can occur in the upper back (cervical foraminal stenosis), the middle back (thoracic foraminal stenosis), or the lower back (lumbar foraminal stenosis). Symptoms will vary based on the affected region, though will most likely include numbness, pain, tingling, and weakness at the site of the narrowing, as well as in the extremities.

Fortunately, problems with the neuroforamen, like foraminal stenosis, do not have to go untreated. Your physician will likely recommend an MRI to make a diagnosis, followed by treatment suggestions like exercise, anti-inflammatory and pain medications, or steroid injections. However, these treatments do not work for everyone and you may find that your physician suggests open back or open neck surgery, in which spinal components applying pressure to the nerve in the foramen are removed.

Laser Spine Institute (LSI) provides an alternative to invasive surgical approaches. Our award-winning surgeons can help you rediscover a life without pain using minimally-invasive, outpatient procedures. Contact LSI today to learn more about treatment, and for a free MRI or CT scan review.

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