Causes
of Back Pain
Spinal
Stenosis
Stenosis means a constriction or narrowing. In spinal
stenosis, the spinal canal becomes narrowed. It usually affects people over the age 50 and results mostly from degenerative changes or
osteoarthritis, in the spine, particularly from bony formations called
osteophytes, which form around the joints of the spine. These bony overgrowths, together with the thickening of the ligaments inside the spinal canal, narrow the available space in the spinal canal for the spinal cord and its nerves. This squeezes the nerves and puts pressure on them, which causes the back pain. Numbness, pain and weakness in the legs can also occur. The most common symptom of spinal stenosis is back pain and pain in the thigh or leg, as well as weakness in the legs is made worse with long periods of standing or walking, particularly downhill. The pain subsides with rest.
