Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
What Increases Your Risk
The risk of having lumbar spinal stenosis increases if you:
- Are older than age 50.
- Have a history of spinal injury.
- Have osteoarthritis (spondylosis) of the spine, which results in disc deterioration, development of bony growths (spurs), and damage to the joints that connect the spine's vertebrae.
- Have a bone disease, such as Paget's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, which may soften the spinal bones or cause calcium deposits to form.
- Are born with a defect or fracture of one or both of the wing-shaped parts of a vertebra (spondylolysis), which may allow a vertebra to slide forward or backward over the bone below, sometimes squeezing the spinal cord or a nerve root. This slipping, called spondylolisthesis, usually happens at the base of the spine.
- Have an abnormally narrow spinal canal, which may be inherited or may develop in curvature of the spine (scoliosis).
- Have a genetic (inherited) disorder in which the bones of the arms and legs do not grow to normal size and the vertebrae of the spine do not grow normally (achondroplastic dwarfism).
- Have had lower back surgery, which may cause swelling that puts pressure on the spinal nerves. Progressive spinal stenosis may occur, even after successful back surgery.
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| Author: | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH Ralph Poore | Last Updated: April 15, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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