Spinal Foraminal Stenosis

Foraminal stenosis is basically when the little exit doors in your spine where your nerves come out start getting too tight. Those nerves are like electrical wires, and when the doorway narrows, the wires get pinched.

That’s why you might feel things like:

·  A nagging ache in your neck or lower back

·  Tingling or numbness that runs into your arm or leg, almost like it’s falling asleep

·  Sometimes even weakness, like your grip isn’t as strong or your leg feels heavy

It usually shows up in the lower back or neck, since those areas do the most bending, twisting, and carrying for you every day.

Why does it happen? Most of the time it’s just life and aging discs flatten a bit, bones grow little spurs, or arthritis thickens the tissues. Injuries like trauma or a disc herniation can also add to the squeeze.

What you can do about it:

·  Many people find relief with physical therapy to build strength and open up the space around the nerves

·  Anti-inflammatory medicine or even epidural injections can calm the irritation

·  If the pinch gets really stubborn or starts limiting what you can do, a simple surgery like foraminotomycan widen the opening so the nerve can glide freely again